Navya Naveli, Pune
R Praggnanandhaa, the Indian grandmaster, set up a thrilling clash with the World No. 1 chess player and five-time world champion from Norway, Magnus Carlsen, by defeating the United State’s Fabiano Caruana with a spectacular victory. On Aug. 21, he registered an unforgettable win in the thrilling semifinal tiebreak match of the FIDE World Cup 2023. In Baku, Azerbaijan, Praggnanandhaa defeated Caruana with a score of 3.5–2.5 in the game. With the historic victory, he secured his spot in the Candidates 2024 and confirmed his position in the FIDE Chess World Cup finals.
Following a 1-1 draw in the second game of the two-game classical series in Baku, Praggnanandhaa startled World No. 3 Caruana on Sunday. He was declared the winner in the tiebreaker. The match was tied after 47 moves.
The 18-year-old Indian prodigy received admiration for his victory from chess legend Viswanathan Anand on Twitter. The Indian Grandmaster tweeted, “Pragg goes through to the final! He beats Fabiano Caruana in the tiebreak and will now face Magnus Carlsen. What a performance!”
After the FIDE World Cup 2023, Praggnanandhaa has become the third youngest player to qualify for the Candidates 2024 and will be the main attraction in the event. Ding Liren, the current world chess champion, will have a challenger in the 2024 World Championship.
The final match of the FIDE World Cup is scheduled to take place in 2023 between Praggnanandhaa and Magnus Carlsen. On Aug. 19, Carlsen became the first finalist in the World Cup by defeating Nijat Abasov of Azerbaijan in the opening game and settling for a draw in 74 moves in the second match in Baku.
Praggnanandhaa told PTI, “I didn’t expect to play Magnus in this tournament at all because the only way I could play him was in the final, and I didn’t expect to be in the final. I will just try to give my best and see how it goes! It feels really good to qualify for the Candidates; I really wanted to fix this spot.”