Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa continued his imperious march at the 2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, concluding day three with a two-point advantage over Uzbek prodigy Javokhir Sindarov and American ace Wesley So.
\nPraggnanandhaa opened the day with a gritty defensive display against Wesley So, navigating a passive Catalan endgame with precision to secure a hard-fought draw.
\nIn round eight, Pragg shifted gears into aggressive mode with the black pieces against Leinier Dominguez. Seizing the d4 outpost with his knight, Pragg launched a relentless queenside pawn majority that crashed through White's defense in 42 moves.
\nWith the classical rapid segment now concluded, Praggnanandhaa stands on 13/18 points heading into the double-round blitz marathon over the weekend.
\n'I'm very pleased with my stability so far,' Pragg said in the Saint Louis studio. 'The blitz section will be very fast and chaotic, so staying focused and conserving energy will be key.'
⚡ Key Takeaways
- Praggnanandhaa leads Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz with 13/18 points after Day 3.
- Maintains a 2-point cushion over Javokhir Sindarov and Wesley So.
- Heads into the weekend double-round blitz marathon in prime position.