Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanadhaa Finishes Last in Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Tournament

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanadhaa may have finished in last place at the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament, but he showed improvement in the blitz section on the final day of the event. Despite ending up with eight points in blitz, an improvement from his earlier four points in the Rapid category, Praggnanadhaa was unable to climb higher in the standings.

The tournament was dominated by Alireza Firouzja of France, who emerged as the winner with a total of 23 points, 11 in rapid and 12 in blitz. Firouzja’s commanding performance earned him USD 40000 out of a total prize pool of USD 175000.

Praggnanadhaa’s performance in the event saw him slip to fifth in the Grand Chess Tour ranking with 17.25 points. He will now be looking for a strong finish in the upcoming Sinquefield Cup, where he will be joined by World Championship challenger D Gukesh.

The final standings of the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament saw Firouzja at the top with Wesley So and Hikaru Nakamura following closely behind. Praggnanadhaa finished in 10th place with 12.5 points.

Despite the tough competition, Praggnanadhaa’s determination and improvement in the blitz section show promise for his future performances in the world of chess. Fans will be eagerly watching to see how he fares in the upcoming Sinquefield Cup.