Chess World Cup’s third day and R Praggnanandhaa’s epic showdown with Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE World Cup got off to a great start, but the day and the match finished as expected: Carlsen, the top-ranked player in the world, defeated 1.5 to 2.5 to win the World Cup.
Carlsen won the first rapid game in chess by controlling the endgame of the first tiebreak. This accomplishment, along with three draws (two in classical during the prior two days), allowed him to claim the championship.
Carlsen played out a careful draw with white pieces to ensure there was no drama following a close opening game, which he won after controlling the endgame.
In the opening game with the white pieces, Praggnanandhaa was positioned comfortably until the endgame, but Carlsen tightened the screws and put the Indian under time strain, forcing him to surrender.
In terms of the board and the time, Praggnanandhaa was in a good position thanks to his opening move, but the middle game featured a pendulum swing between the two players. Going into the final stretch, the Indian actually had a slight time edge.
With only a few seconds left on the clock, the Indian resigned as the game was approaching a draw in a very even situation when Carlsen finally made his move with his knights moving into potentially dangerous positions.
Praggnanandhaa had to use black pieces to win immediately as a result. He had previously accomplished this feat during this competition when he defeated Arjun Erigaisi in the quarterfinals, but this opponent was an entirely different beast.
He prayed a little before the start of the second game, but Carlsen quickly made sure it was in vain. The world no. 1 had effectively ended Praggnanandhaa’s prospects of victory with black pieces in the beginning, demonstrating the skill and cunning of the five-time world champion.
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The players decided a draw after exchanging a few significant pieces, with only Carlsen’s smile serving as the other player’s emotional display. Along with his five World Championship victories, the Norwegian has now added the one trophy that was lacking to his remarkable collection.
This was still a competition Praggnanandhaa would remember. He had to overcome difficulty in the first three rounds before the final, and he did so with style. Even he said that he did not expect him to defeat the world’s No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura and No. 3 Fabiano Caruana to go to the final.
Who is R Praggnanandhaa?
He is the youngest Chess World Cup finalist in history at the age of 18. There is no doubt that R Praggnanandhaa will be mentioned again.
The first classical game of the 2023 FIDE Chess World Cup final between Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen ended in a draw on Tuesday in Baku, Azerbaijan.
With white pieces, the 18-year-old GM held his own against his highly-regarded and higher-rated opponent and forced a draw after 35 moves.
Praggnanandhaa held Carlsen for a draw in an objectively equal position with white pieces while being under extreme time pressure. After a strong game, the Indian conceded a draw on move 35.
In 2022, Praggnanandhaa defeated Magnus Carlsen at the online Airthings Masters, becoming just the third Indian, after Viswanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna. He was the world champion who was defeated while he was the youngest.
Becomes second Indian to make it to the Chess World Championship Final
In the tie-breaker, Praggnanandhaa, who is 18 years old, defeated world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana to go to the FIDE World Cup final. After Viswanathan Anand, he was the second Indian to accomplish the feat.
After the game, Praggnanandhaa observed, “I don’t think I was in any trouble at all.” The advantage of playing white in the second game of the two-match classical series on Wednesday will go to Carlsen.
After the game, Praggnanandhaa spoke with FIDE and remarked, “Rb8, I felt I should have done something there. But maybe this position is just solid, and I don’t have anything. What I played there was not my best try but I could not find anything.”
Praggnanandhaa beat world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana 3.5-2.5 to go to the final. In addition to qualifying for the FIDE Candidates competition in 2024, the Indian adolescent became only the second player from his nation, after the famous Viswanathan Anand, to make it to the World Cup final.
