Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu emerged as the winner of the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, clinching the title with a round to spare. The Indian GM finished 1.5 points ahead of runner-up Javokhir Sindarov and moved into second place in the Grand Chess Tour standings. Launching the Grand Chess Tour’s final stretch in the Chess Capital of America, the 2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz brought ten elite grandmasters to the Saint Louis Chess Club from July 31 to August 7. Across five days of play, the field contested nine rapid rounds and 18 blitz rounds – 135 games in all – with critical tour points on the line ahead of the Sinquefield Cup and the GCT Grand Finals. The 10-player lineup consisted of seven full-tour competitors and three wild-card selections. Full-tour players Fabiano Caruana