Praggnanandhaa vs Keymer: Decisive Rapid and Blitz Games at Grand Chess Tour 2026
The Grand Chess Tour Finals 2026 semifinal between Vincent Keymer and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa continues on August 24 in St. Louis. The Indian grandmaster took the lead after two classical games and currently holds a 9:3 advantage. Praggnanandhaa needs to reach the 15-point mark to win the match, meaning he requires only six more points to advance.
The second classical game ended with Praggnanandhaa securing a victory on the 55th move. Keymer started the match confidently and created attacking opportunities before making a critical tactical error. The Indian player won an exchange, seized the initiative, and forced his opponent to resign under severe time pressure.
The outcome of the semifinal will be determined in the fast chess portion. The players will compete in two rapid games and four blitz games today. A rapid victory awards four points and a draw gives two, while a blitz win provides two points and a draw yields one.
The rapid games begin at 12:00 PM St. Louis time, which corresponds to 8:00 PM Israel time. Concurrently, Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So will conclude their semifinal match, having tied their classical games. The winner of the tournament will take home $200,000 from the total prize pool of $450,000.
