Javokhir Sindarov finishes second in St. Louis rapid event, remains unbeaten
Uzbekistan’s grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov finished second in the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz, scoring 11 points from a possible 18. He remained unbeaten in all nine rounds and trails leader Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa of India by one point ahead of the blitz.
Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov secured second place in the rapid segment of the 2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, the concluding rapid and blitz competition of the prestigious Grand Chess Tour series, maintaining an undefeated record.
Following nine rounds, Sindarov accumulated 11 points, trailing the leader, India's Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, by a single point. American grandmaster Wesley So claimed third place with 10 points.
In the rapid format, a victory was worth two points, and a draw earned one. Sindarov achieved two wins and seven draws, remaining unbeaten across all nine games.
The opening day featured three rounds. Sindarov commenced with a draw against Anish Giri, where promising winning chances in the initial game dissipated during a heavy-piece endgame.
He then drew with Vincent Keymer, navigating a precarious position under severe time pressure to secure a save.
His first triumph occurred in Round 3 against Jorden van Foreest, where he skillfully converted an endgame involving opposite-colored bishops and rooks.
After the first day, Sindarov had 4 points out of 6, sharing second place with Wesley So, one point behind Praggnanandhaa.
Sindarov commented, "In general I’m happy I finished +1 because the second game [against Keymer] was tricky. At some moment I’m just losing, but in time trouble I managed to survive the position." (Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour)
On the second day, Sindarov competed against Praggnanandhaa, Levon Aronian, and Fabiano Caruana.
In Round 4, Praggnanandhaa trapped Sindarov’s bishop early, gaining an extra piece. However, Sindarov introduced complications and managed to salvage what appeared to be a lost position.
Against Aronian in Round 5, Sindarov held a significant advantage and was close to victory. The position later shifted in Aronian’s favor before the game concluded in a draw by repetition. Post-game, Sindarov demonstrated the winning line he had overlooked to Aronian.
Regarding the missed opportunity, Sindarov stated, "You have to forget about it after the game, but it’s not easy."
In Round 6, he defended an inferior position against Caruana. After sacrificing the exchange, Sindarov executed several precise defensive moves, preventing the American from converting his advantage.
After six rounds, Sindarov had 7 points, holding second place, two points behind Praggnanandhaa. (Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour)
Sindarov began the final day of the rapid event with another draw against Giri.
In Round 8, he defeated American grandmaster Awonder Liang by consistently pressuring his opponent’s isolated pawns. After 24…g6, Black was left with four isolated pawns, weaknesses that Sindarov ultimately converted into a win.
He concluded the rapid section with a draw against Keymer in the final round, completing the tournament without a loss.
Despite Praggnanandhaa’s loss to Van Foreest in Round 9, he maintained first place with 12 points. Sindarov finished second with 11, while Wesley So secured third with 10.
Sindarov remarked, "I think the US is better than Warsaw, but tomorrow is a tough day. We’ll see, hopefully I’ll try to get more points."
The tournament now transitions to the blitz section, where players will engage in a double round-robin of 18 games. Unlike the rapid event, each win is worth one point, and a draw earns half a point.
The first nine blitz rounds are scheduled to commence on August 5 at 22:10 Tashkent time, with Sindarov facing Aronian in the opening round.
The tournament runs from August 2-6, featuring 10 grandmasters vying for a $200,000 prize fund, with $50,000 awarded to the overall winner.