The 20-year-old Indian Grandmaster sealed the championship with a round to spare after finishing unbeaten on the final day
New Delhi: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa clinched his maiden Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz title in emphatic fashion, sealing the championship with a round to spare.
The 20-year-old finished with 23.5 points, comfortably ahead of Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, who ended the tournament on 22 points. American Grandmaster Wesley So finished third with 20 points.
Praggnanandhaa entered the final day with a narrow lead after winning the rapid section. He maintained his advantage in the blitz, losing just one game and collecting 11.5 points from a possible 18.
The victory also strengthened Praggnanandhaa’s position in the Grand Chess Tour standings. He moved up to second place, putting himself in a strong position to qualify for the season-ending Grand Chess Tour final later this year.
The Indian Grandmaster will now look to maintain his form in the final tournament of the season, which will be played under the classical format.
For Sindarov, the result was a second-place finish after he trailed Praggnanandhaa by one point following the rapid section. Praggnanandhaa’s consistent performance across both formats ultimately gave him a decisive edge and secured his first Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz crown.
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