Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa clinched his maiden Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz title after topping an elite field at the 2026 edition of the tournament, the first US leg of the Grand Chess Tour.
Praggnanandhaa dominated the rapid section with 12 points out of a possible 18 before maintaining his advantage in the blitz to secure the overall title and a $50,000 prize.
His strong rapid performance also propelled 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,” Praggnanandhaa said after his victory.
Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov finished second with $40,000, while American Grandmaster Wesley So took third place and earned $30,000.
Saint Louis Chess Club chief commentator and spokesperson Yasser Seirawan praised Praggnanandhaa’s consistency throughout the tournament, saying the Indian GM had set the pace in rapid before continuing his strong run in blitz against one of the world’s strongest fields.
The victory also lifted Praggnanandhaa to second place in the overall 2026 Grand Chess Tour standings with 24.5 points. Fabiano Caruana leads the standings with 25 points, followed by Wesley So with 23.5 and Vincent Keymer with 21.
The final regular-season event, the 2026 Sinquefield Cup, will be held in Saint Louis from August 10 to 19. The classical tournament carries a total prize fund of $475,000 and represents the final opportunity for players to earn points and finish among the top four for qualification to the Grand Chess Tour Finals.
The tournament will feature US wildcard Levon Aronian and Sam Sevian, who replaced Alireza Firouzja after the French grandmaster withdrew late last month.
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