Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu Leads Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Despite Final Round Loss

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu finished the rapid section of the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz in first place, accumulating 12 points over three days of competition. He lost to Jorden van Foreest in the final round but maintained a one-point lead over Javokhir Sindarov, with Wesley So trailing by another point.

During the rapid phase, Rameshbabu achieved four wins, four draws, and one defeat, marking his first entry into the top ten of the live rapid world rankings. The upcoming blitz section will feature a different scoring system, where victories are worth one point instead of two.

In round seven, Fabiano Caruana and Vincent Keymer both secured their first wins of the tournament. Caruana defeated Awonder Liang, while Keymer overcame Van Foreest. Round eight saw Rameshbabu defeat Keymer in a complex match, while Sindarov and So also won their games, keeping the competition tight. Van Foreest's victory over Rameshbabu in the final round was the only decisive game of round nine, setting the stage for the blitz rounds ahead.