Rapid: Rounds 1-3
The Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, the fourth leg of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour, is being held at the renowned Saint Louis Chess Club from 2 to 6 August.
The tournament uses the familiar rapid and blitz format. It begins with a 10-player single round-robin in rapid chess, with nine rounds played at a time control of 25 minutes plus a 10-second increment from move one. Rapid games count double: a win is worth 2 points, a draw 1 point and a loss 0 points.
The blitz section will then consist of a double round-robin, with 18 rounds across two cycles. The time control is 5 minutes plus a 2-second increment from move one. In the blitz section, a win is worth 1 point and a draw ½ point. The player with the highest combined rapid and blitz score will win the tournament.
- August 2-4: Rapid
- August 5-6: Blitz
The action kicks off daily at 19.00 CEST, except for the final day (5 July), which starts one hour earlier, at 14.00 CEST.
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Live games and commentary
Commentary provided by GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley and IM Nazi Paikidze
GCT 2026 – Overall standings
Looking for an opening that gets your opponents thinking on move one? Grandmaster Andy Woodward has relied on 1.b3 for years in blitz and bullet, using it to defeat strong masters and grandmasters who underestimated its hidden venom. While many players dismiss the opening as harmless, they often find themselves caught in unfamiliar positions, tactical traps, and uncomfortable middlegames. This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas that matter most when the clock is ticking.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: King’s Indian Setup
| Player | POL | ROU | CRO | STL | SIN | Points | Finals | Prize money | |
| 1 | Fabiano Caruana (United States) | 10 | 10 | 20 | $125,833 | ||||
| 2 | Vincent Keymer (Germany) | 13 | 6 | 19 | $146,250 | ||||
| 3 | Wesley So (United States) | 8 | 7.5 | 15.5 | $72,500 | ||||
| 4 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) | 3 | 4 | 7.5 | 14.5 | $62,416 | |||
| 5 | R Praggnanandhaa (India) | 4 | 7.5 | 11.5 | $53,416 | ||||
| 6 | Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan) | 3 | 7.5 | 10.5 | $72,333 | ||||
| 7 | Anish Giri (Netherlands) | 4 | 4 | 8 | $38,416 | ||||
| 8 | Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands) | 4 | 2 | 6 | $36,416 | ||||
| –[b] | Alireza Firouzja (France) * | 6 | 1 | 11 | – | $72,500 | |||
| Hans Niemann (United States) | 13 | 13 | $50,000 | ||||||
| Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) | 11 | 11 | $42,500 | ||||||
| Gukesh Dommaraju (India) | 5 | 5 | 10 | $22,000 | |||||
| Vladimir Fedoseev (Slovenia) | 7 | 7 | $20,000 | ||||||
| Bogdan-Daniel Deac (Romania) | 4 | 3 | 7 | $37,416 | |||||
| Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) | 3 | 3 | $9,000 | ||||||
| Radosław Wojtaszek (Poland) | 1 | 1 | $7,000 | ||||||
| Ivan Šarić (Croatia) | 1 | 1 | $7,000 | ||||||
| Levon Aronian (United States) | |||||||||
| Leinier Dominguez (United States) | |||||||||
| Awonder Liang (United States) | |||||||||
| Samuel Sevian (United States) |
* Alireza Firouzja withdrew from the tour due to a schedule clash