Indian Grandmaster R Pragganandhaa is gearing up to take on an elite field at the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament, a key event in the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) that kicks off soon.
Despite a slight dip in recent performances, the young chess prodigy is determined to finish on the podium and secure a bonus cash prize from a total kitty of USD 175,000.
Currently standing third in the overall GCT standings, Pragganandhaa is eager to improve his position in the final outings of the tour.
The tournament will not only offer him a chance to climb the rankings but also a significant payday, with the winner set to take home USD 100,000 and the runner-up receiving USD 50,000.
The St. Louis event will feature nine rapid and 18 blitz games involving ten participants, including notable players such as Ian Nepomniachtchi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Nodirbek Abdusattarov, and Wesley So.
Three wild-card entries—Levon Aronian, Hikaru Nakamura, and Lenier Dominguez—will also be competing in the tournament.
Pragganandhaa's performance thus far in the tour has been commendable, with 16.25 points to his name. He will need strong performances in both the rapid and blitz formats, where each rapid win earns two points and a draw awards one point, while blitz games are worth one point for a win and half a point for a draw.
With just two tournaments left, Pragganandhaa is looking to build momentum before he joins compatriot and world championship challenger D Gukesh at the Sinquefield Cup.
In the overall standings, reigning champion Fabiano Caruana of the United States is leading with 22.25 points, buoyed by back-to-back victories in Bucharest and Zagreb. Alireza Firouzja of France occupies the second position with 17.58 points. Gukesh trails behind Pragganandhaa in fourth place with 14.25 points, which puts him at a disadvantage with only one event remaining.
Pragganandhaa's recent performances have included a joint victory in the Superbet Classic held in Bucharest, where he competed alongside Caruana, Firouzja, and Gukesh.
However, it was Caruana who ultimately claimed victory in the event's tiebreaker.
Follow us
