Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa won his first Rapid & Blitz title at the 2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club as the first U.S. leg of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT).
The Indian grandmaster built his victory by topping the rapid section with 12 of a possible 18 points before sealing the overall title in the blitz, winning $50,000. His rapid performance also lifted him into the live top 10 of the world rapid rankings for the first time in his career.
“I was just trying to stay calm and play. I wanted to win the Rapid and Blitz separately, which I think I managed, so that’s good,” said Praggnanandhaa. “Last year, the Rapid & Blitz put me in a situation where I had to perform in the Sinquefield Cup, but this time the Rapid & Blitz has helped me go into the 2026 Sinquefield Cup with a good score, so I’m happy that I managed to improve in that area.”
Finishing second was Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, who held the runner-up spot throughout the tournament to earn $40,000 in prize money. American grandmaster Wesley So placed third, earning $30,000.
“Congratulations to Praggnanandhaa on an outstanding performance throughout the week,” said Yasser Seirawan, chief commentator and spokesperson for the Saint Louis Chess Club. “He set the pace in the rapid section and continued to play with remarkable consistency in the blitz against one of the strongest fields in the world. Winning the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is a significant achievement, and we look forward to seeing him carry this momentum into the Sinquefield Cup next week.”
2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Results:
1 GM Praggnanandhaa IND – 23.5 pts / $50,000
2 GM Javokhir Sindarov UZB – 22 pts / $40,000
3 GM Wesley So USA – 20.5 pts / $30,000
4 GM Levon Aronian USA – 19 pts / $20,000
5-7 GM Fabiano Caruana USA, GM Jorden Van Foreest NLD and GM Leinier Dominguez USA – 17 pts / $12,000
8 GM Anish Giri NLD – 15.5 pts / $9,000
9 GM Vincent Keymer GER – 14.5 pts / $8,000
10 GM Awonder Liang USA – 14 pts / $7,000
The last regular season stop and signature event of the GCT circuit, the 2026 Sinquefield Cup running Aug. 10-19, 2026 will continue its traditional classical format.
Hosted annually by the Saint Louis Chess Club with a $475,000 total prize fund, the strongest tournament on American soil will be the final opportunity for competitors to earn points in the 2026 GCT, aiming to finish in the top four to qualify for the GCT Finals.
The tournament will feature wildcard GM Levon Aronian from the United States, as well as GM Sam Sevian from the United States who replaced GM Alireza Firouzja who withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup late last month.
The tour will come to a dramatic conclusion during the 2026 GCT Finals, set for Aug. 22-27, 2026. The top four full-tour players will battle for a $450,000 prize fund in an intense knockout competition featuring two Classical games, two Rapid games and four Blitz games. With the 2026 GCT title on the line, only one player will emerge as champion.
Follow all the chess action in Saint Louis by watching the professional commentary team including GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley, GM Cristian Chirila and GM Peter Svidler on the STLCCโs Youtube and Twitch channels.
This yearโs GCT participants are competing for a prize purse of $2 million over the course of the full tour. The prize fund is provided by the 2026 Grand Chess Tour major sponsors Super Foundation and Saint Louis Chess Club, both non-profit organizations that support chess education and the mission to expand the game of chess to a worldwide audience.
For more information about the Grand Chess Tour, visit grandchesstour.org.
