Praggnanandhaa took sole control of the 2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz after dominating the blitz portion with 6/9. The Indian grandmaster has held the lead for four straight days and currently sits ahead of Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov.
His most dramatic moment came against Sindarov, where Praggnanandhaa found himself in a losing pawn endgame. Most players would have folded. Praggnanandhaa survived it. That resilience tells you everything about his tournament so far. He's not just playing good chess. He's converting near-disasters into half-points and full points when he needs them.
The blitz results favored him where it matters most. Nine rounds is a decent sample in blitz, and 6/9 is the kind of score that wins tournaments. He's grinding out results without flashy sacrifices or brilliant attacking sequences. Just chess that works.
With Sindarov trailing and other competitors scattered behind, Praggnanandhaa has built real breathing room. The tournament still has rounds to play, but maintaining the lead in a field of elite players for four days straight means he's doing something right. His preparation, his time management, his endgame technique. All of it is clicking at Saint Louis.