Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has surged into the finals of the World Cup chess tournament with a remarkable triumph over the second-ranked player globally, Fabiano Caruana, during the semifinals held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
This remarkable achievement places the 18-year-old prodigy from Chennai in a historic position as the youngest grandmaster ever and only the second Indian player, following in the footsteps of Viswanathan Anand, to secure a spot in the final of the World Cup chess tournament. His impending showdown will be against the reigning world number 1, Magnus Carlsen, in today’s match.
In an intense semifinal round, the Indian prodigy secured victory against Caruana with a 3.5-2.5 score through the tie-break.
Revered chess icon Viswanathan Anand expressed his awe, stating, “Pragg advances to the final! He prevails over Fabiano Caruana in the tiebreak and is now set to face Magnus Carlsen. What an exceptional performance!”
Praggnanandhaa’s exceptional prowess had already been evident in earlier rounds, notably when he triumphed over the third-ranked player in the world and five-time US chess champion, Hikaru Nakamura.
Notably, Praggnanandhaa has achieved the distinguished feat of earning a Candidates spot in the realm of chess, a feat that previously only Viswanathan Anand had accomplished among Indian players.
