Praggnanandhaa takes the lead in St. Louis after rapid rounds, with blitz matches on the horizon.

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has emerged victorious in the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament, amassing a total of 12 points from 18 possible. This impressive performance has bolstered his chances of qualifying for the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) finals scheduled for later this year. The tournament, a staple in the professional chess calendar, featured a rapid section consisting of nine rounds, where Praggnanandhaa showcased exceptional skill and determination.

Despite suffering a defeat in the final round against Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest, Praggnanandhaa maintained a narrow lead over his competitors. He finished ahead of Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov, who is set to face D. Gukesh in the upcoming World Championship title match. The GCT's concluding rapid and blitz event will not solely rely on the rapid section, as players will engage in an additional 18 blitz games to determine the overall champion, with a total prize pool of $200,000, of which $50,000 is awarded to the winner.

Following Praggnanandhaa in the standings is Sindarov, who trails by just one point, while American Grandmaster Wesley So also stands at 10 points. A group of four players, including Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Leinier Dominguez Perez, and Vincent Keymer, are closely behind with nine points each, all eager to capitalize on the fast-paced nature of blitz chess. The ten-player round-robin format will precede the prestigious Sinquefield Cup, which will feature classical chess matches.

The final standings after the rapid section are as follows: 1. R Praggnanandhaa (India, 12 points); 2. Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan, 11 points); 3. Wesley So (USA, 11 points); 4-7. Levon Aronian, Leinier Dominguez Perez (USA), Anish Giri (Netherlands), Vincent Keymer (Germany) with 9 points each; 8-9. Fabiano Caruana (USA), Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands) with 8 points each; 10. Awonder Leong (USA, 5 points).