Praggnanandhaa Ends Up As Runner-Up Of 2023 FIDE World Cup

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa on Thursday lost to Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE World Cup final.

The two classical games on Tuesday and Wednesday had ended in draws, stretching the final into a tie-break. Praggnanandhaa enjoyed an incredible run in the tournament, having beaten world number two Hikaru Nakamura and world number three Fabiano Caruana to set up a final date with Carlsen.

The results in the ongoing tournament also helped Praggnanandhaa qualify for the Candidates 2024 tournament, which will be held in Canada to determine the challenger to world champion Ding Liren of China. Praggnanandhaa also became the third youngest player after the legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates tournament.

International Chess Federation (FIDE) tweeted, "Praggnanandhaa is the runner-up of the 2023 FIDE World Cup! Congratulations to the 18-year-old Indian prodigy on an impressive tournament! On his way to the final, Praggnanandhaa beat, among others, world #2 Hikaru Nakamura and #3 Fabiano Caruana! By winning the silver medal, Praggnanandhaa also secured a ticket to the FIDE Candidates."

Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa wrote a golden chapter in Indian chess history by becoming only the second player from the country after Viswanathan Anand -- and the youngest -- to play in the FIDE World Cup final.

After Indian chess grandmaster finished second at the 2023 FIDE World Cup, his father Ramesh Babu, said, "In the final, he played against world no.1 Magnus Carlsen. Losing or winning this match was not important but playing against world no.1 was very important...Next, he will go to Germany to play another tournament.

"The Prime Minister,Shri Narendra Modi praised Chess Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa for a remarkable performance at the FIDE World Cup.

The Prime Minister tweeted, "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."

R Praggnanandhaa's road to the World Cup final:

• Got a bye in first round.
• Defeated French Grandmaster Maxime Lagarde 1.5-0.5 in second round.
• Beat experienced Czech GM David Navara 1.5-0.5 in third round.
• Beat world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura of USA 3-1 in fourth round.
• Beat Hungarian Ferenc Berkes 1.5-0.5 in fifth round.
• Registered a come-from-behind 5-4 win over compatriot Arjun Erigaisi in the sixth round.
• Beat Italian-American Grandmaster, Fabiano Caruana, ranked third in the world, 3.5-2.5 in the semifinal to become the youngest to reach the summit clash of the World Cup.
• Game 1 of Final on Tuesday ended in a draw after 35 moves.
• Game 2 between Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen also ended in a quick draw in just 30 moves.
• Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen returned on Thursday to play in the shorter time control games, with the Indian losing in the tie-break.