Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov secured second place in the rapid section of the final event of the Grand Chess Tour series, the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz 2026. After nine rounds, the Uzbek representative accumulated 11 points, just one point behind the leader, Indian grandmaster Rameshbabu Pragnanandhaa. American Wesley So finished third with 10 points.
In the rapid format, a win earned two points and a draw one point. Sindarov recorded two wins and seven draws, finishing all nine games undefeated. On the first day, participants played three rounds. Sindarov started the tournament with a draw against Anish Giri. In the first game, the Uzbek player had winning chances but missed the advantage in the endgame.
In the second round, he drew with Vincent Keymer. At one point, Sindarov found himself in a difficult position but managed to hold it in time trouble. He secured his first win of the tournament in the third round against Jorden van Foreest, converting an endgame with opposite-colored bishops and rooks. After the first day, he had four points out of a possible six, sharing second place with Wesley So and trailing Pragnanandhaa by just one point.
“Overall, I’m pleased to finish the day with a plus-one result, because the second game against Keymer was tough. At some point I was simply losing, but I managed to hold the position in time trouble,” Sindarov said. On the second day, Sindarov faced Pragnanandhaa, Levon Aronian, and Fabiano Caruana. In the fourth round, Pragnanandhaa won Sindarov’s bishop early in the opening, gaining a material advantage. However, Sindarov complicated the position and managed to hold what seemed like a hopeless position.
In the next game against Aronian, Sindarov had a significant advantage and was close to victory for a long time. Later, the position shifted in favor of the opponent, but the game ended in a draw due to repetition of moves. After the game, the Uzbek player showed Aronian a move that could have brought him victory. “After the game, you have to forget it, but it’s not easy,” Sindarov said about the missed opportunity. In the sixth round, he was in a worse position against Caruana. The Uzbek player found several precise defensive moves and did not allow the American grandmaster to convert his advantage.
After six rounds, Sindarov had seven points and was in second place, two points behind Pragnanandhaa. Sindarov began the final day of rapid with a draw against Anish Giri. In the eighth round, he defeated American grandmaster Awonder Liang. Sindarov consistently pressured the opponent’s isolated pawns. After 24...g6, Black had four isolated pawns, and their weakness allowed the Uzbek representative to convert the game into a win. In the last round, Sindarov drew with Keymer, completing the rapid section without a single loss.
Pragnanandhaa missed a chance against van Foreest in the ninth round but retained first place with 12 points. Sindarov finished second with 11 points, and Wesley So was third with 10. “I think everything is going better in the US than in Warsaw. But tomorrow will be a tough day. We’ll see, I hope I’ll try to score more points,” Sindarov said.
The Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament continues with blitz for two more days. Participants will play a double round-robin of 18 games. Unlike rapid, in blitz a win earns one point and a draw half a point. The first nine rounds of blitz will start on August 5 at 22:10 Tashkent time. In the opening game, Sindarov will face Levon Aronian. The tournament runs from August 2 to 6. Ten grandmasters are participating, with a total prize fund of $200,000. The winner will receive $50,000.
Source: www.gazeta.uz