Praggnanandhaa wins maiden St. Louis Rapid & Blitz title

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa won his maiden St. Louis Rapid & Blitz title on Thursday, sealing the championship with a round to spare and strengthening his chances of qualifying for the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) Finals.

The 20-year-old finished on 23.5 points, ahead of Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov (22), while American Grandmaster Wesley So placed third with 20.5 points.

Praggnanandhaa, who topped the rapid section earlier in the tournament, lost just one game in the blitz phase and scored 11.5 points from a possible 18 to secure the title.

The victory lifted the Indian to second in the overall GCT standings, putting him in a strong position to qualify for the season-ending Finals later this year. He will next compete in the final Classical event of the tour, which begins on Sunday.

French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja's withdrawal from the final two GCT events also boosted Praggnanandhaa's prospects, with the Frenchman's accumulated points removed in accordance with tournament regulations.

Praggnanandhaa has enjoyed an impressive season, having earlier won the Norway Chess title ahead of world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.