St. Louis, August 12: Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa achieved a significant victory against World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov in the second round of the Sinquefield Cup. After drawing with Sam Sevian, Praggnanandhaa secured his first win in the 2026 tournament, joining four other players in the leaders’ group with a score of 1.5/2 points.
Praggnanandhaa maintained pressure in a rook-knight endgame, capitalizing on a mistake by Sindarov. The marathon match lasted six hours, concluding in 95 moves. After a series of exchanges on move 46, both players entered a position with rook and knight against two pawns versus rook and knight against one pawn. On move 82, Sindarov made an error, allowing Praggnanandhaa to seize the advantage and secure the win.
At just 20 years old, Praggnanandhaa began his campaign with a draw against American Sam Sevian and entered the second round with half a point. His victory over Sindarov has now placed him firmly in the title race.
Three other crucial results emerged from the tournament: Levon Aronian defeated Vincent Keymer, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave triumphed over Sevian, and Wesley So overcame Jordan van Foreest.
Praggnanandhaa’s next match will be against Keymer in round 3, scheduled for Wednesday night at 10:30 PM IST. After two rounds, five players share the lead with a score of 1.5/2, intensifying the competition at the top.
Notably, Praggnanandhaa recently won the blitz title at the 2026 St. Louis Rapid and Blitz, marking his first rapid and Grand Chess Tour event in the U.S. He topped the rapid section with 12 points out of 18 and claimed the overall blitz title. This performance has propelled him into the live top 10 of the World Rapid Rankings for the first time in his career.
The Sinquefield Cup 2026 is the final regular-season stop of the Grand Chess Tour and a signature classical event. The tournament will run until August 19.
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