Praggnanandhaa Struggles at Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament

Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa finished at the bottom of the table in the rapid section of the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament. Despite a challenging performance, the focus now shifts to the blitz section where Praggnanandhaa aims for a comeback, while Firouzja aims for tour ranking top spot.

Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa faced a challenging day at the office, ending up at the bottom of the table in the rapid section of the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament.

Entering the final day with three losses and three draws, Praggnanandhaa was defeated by Lenier Dominguez of the United States in the seventh round. Another American, Hikaru Nakamura, also proved too strong for the Indian grandmaster in the final game. A draw with Alireza Firouzja of France in the eighth round left Praggnanandhaa with a disappointing four points out of a possible 18.

Leading the pack were Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, and French players Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Firouzja, who each scored 11 points in what was one of the closest rapid sections of the Grand Chess Tour. Following closely were Levon Aronian, Wesley So, Lenier Dominguez, and Nakamura. Nodirbek Abdusattorov and reigning tour winner Fabiano Caruana trailed slightly behind. Praggnanandhaa was a distant 10th.

The tournament now moves to the blitz section, where players will compete in a double round-robin format. Praggnanandhaa will need a miracle in the blitz section to make a comeback. Firouzja also has a slim chance to top the tour rankings, provided he finishes well ahead of current leader Caruana.

While Praggnanandhaa remains safe in the third spot in the tour rankings, a stronger performance in the blitz might allow him to surpass his nearest rival, D Gukesh, who is currently in fourth place. Gukesh will join the others in the Sinquefield Cup, slated to take place following this event.

Final Standings Rapid: 1-3: Ian Nepomniachtchi (FID), Alireza Firouzja (FRA), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) 11 points each; 4: Levon Aronian (ARM) 10; 5-7: Lenier Dominguez (USA), Wesley So (USA), Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 9 each, Fabiano Caruana (USA), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) 8 each; 10: R Praggnanandhaa (IND) 4.