Indian Chess Prodigy R Praggnanandhaa Makes History: Advances to FIDE World Cup Final

On Monday, Praggnanandhaa secured a spot in the final of the FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan by defeating World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana. The young Indian talent clinched victory over the American player with a score of 3.5-2.5 in the tiebreaks.

Continuing his impressive performance, he engaged the world no. 3 in shorter time-control matches. This strategy propelled him into the final showdown against the favorite, Magnus Carlsen, at the FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan.

At the age of 18, Praggnanandhaa achieved a significant milestone. He not only eliminated the second seed, Hikaru Nakamura, en route to the final but also secured his place as the third youngest player to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, joining the ranks of Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen. Additionally, Praggnanandhaa's journey marks a historic moment for India, as he is the first Indian to reach the World Cup final since the introduction of the knockout format in 2005.

Coach RB Ramesh conveyed his deep pride in Praggnanandhaa's remarkable achievements in the World Cup, emphasizing that he has become the youngest finalist and the only Indian to reach this stage. Ramesh also highlighted Praggnanandhaa's outstanding feats, such as attaining the world's youngest international chess master title at 10, becoming the second youngest grandmaster at 12, and achieving the youngest-ever 2600 rating at 14.

On Tuesday, Praggnanandhaa will compete against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen for the title. Coach Ramesh expressed his anticipation for the match, citing their prior encounters. He pointed out that Praggnanandhaa has achieved the remarkable feat of defeating Magnus five times within the past year.

Ramesh underlined the significance of this high-stakes showdown, referencing their previous draw in January during a longer time control game.

The coach confidently praised Praggnanandhaa's skills, stating his optimism about Prags' chances. He stressed the significance of Praggnanandhaa having a good night's sleep that night, considering his excellent current form. The coach added that aside from a brief discussion on opening strategies, there was little additional advice required.

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