Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa retained his position at the top of the standings as the blitz section of the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament gathered pace on Thursday. After an impressive display in the rapid segment, the 20-year-old continued to lead the field despite the chasing pack closing in.
Praggnanandhaa sits on 18.5 points from 29, holding a slender half-point advantage over Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, who is on 18 points. With plenty of blitz games still to be played, the battle for the title remains wide open.
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The Indian had entered the blitz section in a strong position after topping the rapid standings with 12 points from a possible 18. Although he suffered a defeat to Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest in the final rapid round, four victories and four draws across the nine rounds were enough to keep him ahead of the field.
The St. Louis event is the final Rapid & Blitz tournament of this year’s Grand Chess Tour, making every point crucial as players chase qualification for the season-ending Grand Chess Tour Finals alongside the USD 50,000 winner’s prize.
PRAGGNANANDHAA EYES STRONG FINISH
The rapid section laid the perfect platform for Praggnanandhaa, whose consistent play has kept him among the frontrunners throughout the tournament.
With each blitz victory worth one point, the margins have become significantly tighter than in the rapid format, where wins carried double value. That has allowed Sindarov to remain within touching distance, ensuring the title race stays alive heading into the remaining rounds.
The Uzbek Grandmaster, who will challenge D Gukesh for the World Championship later this year, remains Praggnanandhaa’s closest challenger.
Further behind, American Grandmaster Wesley So is in third place, while Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Leinier Dominguez Perez and Vincent Keymer continue to lurk within striking distance. Keymer, in particular, is regarded as one of the most dangerous players in faster time controls.
With 18 blitz rounds deciding the overall champion, Praggnanandhaa remains in control of his own destiny. However, with the chasing pack separated by only a handful of points, the Indian will need another composed finish if he is to convert his early advantage into the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz title.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
