Daijiworld Media Network – St Louis

St Louis, Aug 7: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa clinched the Grand Chess Tour St. Louis Rapid & Blitz title on Thursday, securing the prestigious crown with a round to spare.

The 20-year-old sealed the title after playing out a draw against Javokhir Sindarov in the penultimate round, finishing with 23 points from 35 to end the tournament 1.5 points ahead of the rest of the field.

ChessBase India announced the achievement on social media, hailing Praggnanandhaa's dominant performance and noting that it was his first Grand Chess Tour Rapid & Blitz title.

The latest triumph adds to an impressive year for the Indian chess prodigy. In June, Praggnanandhaa won the Norway Chess 2026 title in Oslo after defeating Germany's Vincent Keymer in the final round, completing a remarkable run of four consecutive classical victories to lift the trophy.

Following his Norway Chess success, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay felicitated Praggnanandhaa in Chennai and presented him with a cash award of Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.

The Grand Chess Tour victory further strengthens Praggnanandhaa's reputation as one of the world's leading young chess players and marks another significant milestone in his rapidly rising international career.