World Number 1 Magnus Carlsen managed to get past R Praggnanandhaa in the final to win the FIDE World Cup 2023. It was a thrilling tiebreak where Carlsen displayed his experience to prevail over the young Indian grandmaster. The tie-break ended 1.5-0.5 in Carlsen’s favour.
In a game where fortunes swung from one side to another, the 18-year-old Indian sensation surrendered the point after coming under time pressure.
Carlsen won game 1 in 45 moves and will have the advantage of white pieces in the second game, leaving Praggnanandhaa in a must-win situation.
Praggnanandhaa, playing with white, made the first move -f e4 – and got into a better position due to some careful maneuvering. Carlsen responded with an e5 at the start of the contest.
Meanwhile, Fabiano Caruana scored a convincing victory with black over Nijat Abasov in their first tie-break game and now only needs a draw in the second to clinch third place.
Praggnanandhaa showcased his talent against the World Number 1 Carlsen as the two gave each other a tough fight in the tiebreaks.
The two players settled for a quiet draw in the second classical game after one-and-a-half hours of play.
The results in the World Cup also helped Praggnanandhaa qualify for Candidates 2024 tournament, which will be held in Canada.
Praggnanandhaa, thus, became the third youngest player after the legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates tournament.
The 18-year-old Indian has long been seen as a possible successor to the five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and is certainly on the path to be a chess great.
He is only the second Indian after the legendary Anand to reach the World Cup final as he consistently did well throughout the tournament to set up the final against World Number 1 Carlsen.
The total prize money for the FIDE Chess World Cup 2023 is USD 1,834,000. The money will be divided among 206 players with the first place grabbing a hefty pay cheque of USD 110,000.
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