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Praggnanandhaa rewrites history
Praggnanandhaa received $80,000 for finishing second in the FIDE World Cup 2023.
Wold number one, Magnus Carlsen defeated Praggnanandhaa in the closely fought tie-breaker / Photo: Stev Bonhage
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa of India faced Magnus Carlsen in an exciting final of the recently concluded FIDE World Cup 2023, but fell just short of the winning title. After the first two games were tied, world number one Carlsen won the tie-break 1.5-0.5 in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku.
Praggnanandhaa finished second in the prestigious competition, by defeating World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana in a thrilling 3.5-2.5 victory in the semi-final to advance as the youngest player to the World Cup championship match. He also outclassed fellow compatriot, Arjun Erigaisi and World No. 3 Hikaru Nakamura.
As a result of his impressive performance, the Indian Grandmaster secured his place in the Candidates 2024 competition, which will be held in Canada to determine the opponent to current world champion Ding Liren of China. After Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen, the 18-year-old became the third-youngest player to qualify for the Candidates tournament, and only the second Indian (after the famous Viswanathan Anand) to do so.
Congratulating him on the historic win, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “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.”
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