Praggnanandhaa to meet Samuel in first round of Sinquefield Cup
Indian chess prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa is set to compete in the Sinquefield Cup following his recent victory in the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament. He faces Samuel Sevian in the first round of this high-stakes event, which features a strong field of international grandmasters.
Why it matters
The Sinquefield Cup is a prestigious event in the Grand Chess Tour, and Praggnanandhaa's performance is critical for his qualification to the tour finale.
In high spirits after his victory in the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz, which elevated him to second place in the overall Grand Chess Tour rankings, R. Praggnanandhaa, barring a debacle here, is likely to feature in the finale later this year.
The Grand Chess Tour (GCT) Finals are contested by the top-four finishers on the tour, and currently, American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana is ahead of Praggnanandhaa.
Samuel Sevian is a surprise entry in the Sinquefield Cup, after French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja decided to withdraw from the tour.
All nine regular tour players will be back in the Sinquefield Cup, making it one of the strongest tournaments of the year, alongside the Norway Chess Classic, which was also won by Praggnanandhaa.
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