New Delhi: World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen finally managed to win the FIDE World Cup for the first time in his storied career on Thursday.
But triumph came after three days and four games of intensely fought chess across two formats against Indian prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.
Carlsen and Praggu drew the two classical games in the final. In the tie-breaker, the 32-year-old Carlsen won the first game in rapid format with black, as his young opponent came under extreme time pressure. Needing a win in the second rapid game to stay in the contest, Praggu settled for a draw to hand the Norwegian maestro the missing silverware in his cabinet.
It was a silver medal only, but it was worth its weight in gold for Praggu.
The 18-year-old from Chennai scripted a fairytale run in the knockout World Cup, beating the likes of world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura and world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana on way to the final.
Praggnanandhaa thus secured a berth in the prestigious FIDE Candidates meet which will decide the contestant to challenge reigning champion Ding Liren for the next World Championship.
Praggu, who turned 18 two weeks ago, during the World Cup, was the youngest ever World Cup finalist. Seeded 31, Praggu is also the lowest seed to qualify for the World Cup final.
Praggnanandhaa became only the second Indian after the legendary Viswanathan Anand to seal a spot in the Candidates. He is also the third youngest player after another chess legend Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates tournament.
Praggnanandhaa earned $80,000 (approximately Rs 66.13 lakh) for his sensational effort, while Carlsen took home $110,000.
Modi, Naveen Congratulate Praggu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik lauded Praggu’s performance.
“We are proud of Praggnanandhaa for his remarkable performance at the FIDE World Cup! He showcased his exceptional skills and gave a tough fight to the formidable Magnus Carlsen in the finals. This is no small feat. Wishing him the very best for his upcoming tournaments,” the PM tweeted.
“Congratulate young Indian Grandmaster R #Praggnanandhaa on winning the Silver medal after putting up a tough fight against reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen in the final of #FIDEWorldCup Chess Tournament & becoming one of the youngest players to qualify for #FIDECandidates Tournament. May he continue to shine and bring glory for the country. Wish him all the best for future,” Naveen tweeted.
Congratulate young Indian Grandmaster R #Praggnanandhaa on winning the Silver medal after putting up a tough fight against reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen in the final of #FIDEWorldCup Chess Tournament & becoming one of the youngest players to qualify for #FIDECandidates… https://t.co/TAf6JLaUZP
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) August 24, 2023
Celebrities from all fields, including Sachin Tendulkar and Hrithik Roshan also saluted Praggnanandhaa for his brilliant run.
