The fourth leg of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour, the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, concluded on Friday, August 15, with Levon Aronian lifting the trophy. The Armenian-American grandmaster displayed a fine mix of solid play and sharp attacks, ending the event with 24.5 points, a commanding lead of three points over the rest of the participants.

Aronian secured the championship with two rounds still left, after drawing his game against French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. He then capped off his tournament by defeating American GM Sam Shankland in the final round. The victory earned him the top prize of $40,000 (about Rs 35 lakh).

Caruana and Vachier-Lagrave in top three

American GM Fabiano Caruana secured second place with 21.5 points. He drew his last-round match against Leinier Dominguez and took home $30,000 (Rs 26 lakh). Meanwhile, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave finished close behind in third position with 21 points, earning $25,000 (Rs 21 lakh).

Abdusattorov, So, and Gukesh among the challengers

Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov finished fourth on 20.5 points, while American GM Wesley So claimed fifth place with 19 points.

World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju shared sixth place alongside Vietnam’s Liem Le, both scoring 18 points. Gukesh lost to Caruana in Round 15 but steadied himself with three consecutive draws in the remaining rounds.

Aronian strengthens Grand Chess Tour campaign

This triumph also gave Aronian 13 Grand Chess Tour points, boosting his chances of competing for the overall GCT title later this year. His consistent form and ability to handle pressure firmly established him as the standout performer of the tournament.