Praggnanandhaa extends lead at Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, eyes bigger advantage against Keymer

R Praggnanandhaa remains firmly on top of the standings at the Grand Chess Tour Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz 2026, extending his lead after another productive day in the blitz section.

The Indian Grandmaster defeated Leinier Dominguez Perez with the black pieces in Round 16 before playing out a hard-fought draw against Javokhir Sindarov in round 17 and Levon Aronian in Round 18. Those results took Pragg to 18 points, keeping him ahead of the chasing pack with one more round remaining in the day.

Against Dominguez, Pragg gradually seized control from the middlegame. After creating a dangerous passed pawn and maintaining pressure on both flanks, he forced his opponent into a difficult endgame. With Dominguez short of time, Pragg converted has advantage clinically to register an important victory.

His next game against Aronian was a much more balanced affair. The queens came off the board as early as move five, leading to a long strategic battle. Neither player managed to create a decisive breakthrough, and after 48 moves, they agreed to a draw.

Pragg will next face Vincent Keymer in Round 19, a game that could prove crucial in the title race. Keymer, currently on 14 points, remains within striking distance, and another win for the Indian would further strengthen his position at the top of the leaderboard.

After 18 rounds, Pragg leads the standings with 18 points, holding a 1.5-point advantage over Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who is second on 16.5 points. Wesley So occupies third place with 16 points, while Alireza Firouzja is fourth on 15.5 points. Levon Aronian and Vincent Keymer are tied for fifth on 14 points each. Dominguez Perez and Fabiano Caruana share seventh place on 13.5 points, followed by Jan-Krzysztof Duda in ninth with 12.5 points. Hikaru Nakamura rounds off the 10-player field in 10th place with 12 points.

Pragg has once again shown why he is among the most consistent performers on the Grand Chess Tour, combining accurate calculation with calm decision-making under severe time pressure.

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