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R Praggnanandhaa reached the final of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour by beating Vincent Keymer 17-3 in the semifinal at the Saint Louis Chess Club. The Indian took the classical segment 9-3 and swept both rapid games 4-0, building a lead the four remaining blitz games cannot close. He meets Fabiano Caruana in Tuesday’s final.
Saint Louis, United States: Four blitz games remain in this semifinal. None of them matter.
Praggnanandhaa’s 4-0 sweep of Monday’s rapid games took the match score to 17-3 and made him the first finalist of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour. With two points available for a blitz win and one for a draw, Keymer cannot bridge the gap even by winning everything left.
The Blunder That Opened It Up
The classical segment set the tone, though not without difficulty. Praggnanandhaa outplayed Keymer in the first game and could not convert, settling for a draw.
The second was the turning point, and it turned on time. Keymer had built the better position and was steadily outplaying the Indian in a complex middlegame — until, with Praggnanandhaa down to 39 seconds after move 32 and Keymer himself at a minute and 15, the German committed a decisive blunder and lost.
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That gave Praggnanandhaa a 9-3 lead in the classical portion and a six-point cushion heading into the faster time controls. He then doubled down, winning both rapid games to end the contest.
A Generation That Attacks
Praggnanandhaa has been open about the approach that drives his generation of players. Asked about their fighting spirit, he said they would take the option to fight whenever it was available, adding that “we don’t mind playing some crazy positions.”
It has been a demanding week for the field. Commentator Peter Svidler noted a high number of errors across the second day of classical games, remarking that the players were very tired. The broadcast team also included Yasser Seirawan, Maurice Ashley and Nazi Paikidze.
Caruana Awaits
The final is set. Fabiano Caruana came through the other semifinal against Wesley So, unable to convert a large classical advantage before winning a one-sided blitz tiebreak.
It pits the tournament’s top seed against its third. The four-player field was seeded on final Tour standings — Praggnanandhaa first, So second, Caruana third and Keymer fourth.
The title match begins on Tuesday at 12pm local time, 10:30pm IST.
What Is at Stake
The prize fund totals $450,000, with $200,000 for the winner and $125,000 for the runner-up. Third place takes $75,000 and fourth $50,000. The top three finishers also earn invitations to the 2027 Grand Chess Tour.
The Finals conclude a six-event season that took in Super Rapid and Blitz Poland, the Superbet Chess Classic in Romania, Super Rapid and Blitz Croatia, the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, and the Sinquefield Cup.
Semifinal: R Praggnanandhaa (IND) leads Vincent Keymer (GER) 17-3 — classical 9-3, rapid 4-0, four blitz games remaining
Other semifinal: Fabiano Caruana d. Wesley So
Final: Praggnanandhaa v Caruana, Tuesday 25 August, 10:30pm IST
Venue: Saint Louis Chess Club
