Indian GM R Praggnanandhaa Draws Fabiano Caruana In First Game Of World Cup Semi-finals

20.08.2023 - 07:09 sports.ndtv.com

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa held fancied American player Fabiano Caruana to a draw in the first game of the semifinals of the FIDE World Cup chess tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan on Saturday.

The 17-year old Praggnanandhaa waged a gritty battle against the American to share the honours in 78 moves. Having drawn Saturday's encounter with black pieces, the Indian GM now has the advantage of playing with white on Sunday.

Meanwhile, world no.1 Magnus Carlsen took a big step towards the final by beating local favorite Nijat Abasov in game 1 of the two-game classical series.

By becoming only the second Indian after legendary Vishwanathan Anand to reach the semifinals of the World Cup, Praggnanandhaa booked a spot in the Candidates event in 2024 to determine the challenger to Ding Liren. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

chess classical R Praggnanandhaa cup semi-finals Magnus Carlsen Fabiano Caruana Usa India Azerbaijan

Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa wrote a golden chapter in Indian chess history by becoming only the second player from the country after Viswanathan Anand -- and the youngest -- to play in the FIDE World Cup final. The 18-year-old Indian lost the summit clash to Norway's world No.1 Magnus Carlsen here on Thursday.

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Chess World Cup final 2023 Highlights: R Praggnanandhaa captured the imagination of a billion-plus people as he stormed in the final of the 2023 Chess World Cup. He fought valiantly till the end but ultimately lost to the great Magnus Carlsen in the final. Praggnanandhaa had drawn the first two classical games, but in the tie-breaker Carlsen was the more dominant player. However, Praggnanandhaa can keep his chin up as he beat higher-ranked opponents - world no. 2 Hikaru Nakamura and no. 3 Fabiano Caruana - to become the second Indian after the great Viswanathan Anand to enter the Chess World Cup final. By winning the silver medal, Praggnanandhaa also secured a ticket to the FIDE Candidates tournament.

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After a heroic final performance in the Chess World Cup summit clash, R Praggnanandhaa can rest assured that he will now be counted among the top chess stars in the world. Praggnanandhaa captured the imagination of a billion-plus people as he entered the final of the 2023 Chess World Cup. He fought valiantly till the end but ultimately lost to the great Magnus Carlsen in the final. Praggnanandhaa had drawn the first two classical games, but in the tie-breaker Carlsen was the more dominant player on Thursday in Baku, Azerbaijan.

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World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen defeated India's grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa to clinch the title of International Chess Federation World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan on Thursday. The Norwegian chess grandmaster won the first game of the Rapid Chess tie-breaker with black pieces and manged to hold on for a draw in the second game with white pieces. The tie breaker is played in a Rapid Chess quicker-time control format.

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After a heroic final performance in the Chess World Cup final, R Praggnanandhaa can rest assured that he will now be counted among the among the top chess stars in the world. Praggnanandhaa captured the imagination of a billion-plus people as he entered the final of the 2023 Chess World Cup. He fought valiantly till the end but ultimately lost to the great Magnus Carlsen in the final. Praggnanandhaa had drawn the first two classical games, but in the tie-breaker Carlsen was the more dominant player on Thursday in Baku, Azerbaijan.