Page 2 - Chess World Cup

Indian chess is having a moment. Pragganandhaa in World Cup final is proof

India now has 83 Chess Grandmasters, and going by the peerless Viswanathan Anand's reckoning, this generation will dominate for a decade or two

How tech and affordable internet helped make India a chess powerhouse

From watching a game on a smartphone to playing a favourite chess opening using a database, modern tech and affordable internet have helped India produce one chess prodigy after another

PM Modi lauds Pragg for 'remarkable performance' in chess World Cup

PM Narendra Modi lauded Indian chess grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa for his remarkable performance who came second at the FIDE World Cup. World No 1 Magnus Carlsen defeated India's grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa to clinch the title of International Chess Federation World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan on Thursday."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," PM Modi wrote on his X (Formerly Twitter) handle. The Norwegian chess grandmaster won the first game of the Rapid Chess tie-breaker with black pieces and managed to hold on for a draw in the second game with white pieces. The tiebreaker is played in a Rapid Chess quicker-time control format. Praggnanandhaa fought hard but fell short with Carlsen summoning all his big match experience when it mattered the most.Earlier ..

Losing or winning match was not important: Pragganandhaa's father

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen defeated India's grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa to clinch the title of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan

Praggnanandhaa vs Carlsen final: Magnus wins Chess World Cup in tiebreaker

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa's dream run in the FIDE World Cup chess tournament ended

Chess WC: Praggnanandhaa goes down fighting vs World No 1 Magnus Carlsen

This was the first time an Indian made it to the final of the Chess World Cup since 2002 when Viswanathan Anand won the second of his back-to-back titles in Hyderabad.

Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa: From wonderkid to a chess great in the waiting

For someone, who took to chess just because his parents wanted him and his sister to wean away from watching television, R Praggnanandhaa has charted his own path to glory and is closer to greatness than ever. The 18-year old wonderboy 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. A stunning performance in the FIDE World Cup in Baku has catapulted him to the Candidates tournament to determine the challenger to current world champion Ding Liren. By becoming the only Indian player after Anand to book a spot in the Candidates, the Chennai teenager has proved that he will be the name to reckon with when it comes to big-ticket chess events. A wonderkid, who took up the sport at the age of four-and-a-half, Praggnanandhaa has achieved several firsts in his distinguished career thus far. After coming under the wings of Anand, who has taken to mentorship like a duck to water, the rise has been

Chess World Cup Final: Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen agree to draw second game

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa drew the second classical game of the final of the FIDE World Cup against world No.1 Magnus Carlsen here on Wednesday. The two players settled for a quiet draw in 30 moves after one-and-a-half hours of play in game two. The champion will be decided in the tie-breaks on Thursday. Carlsen played a solid game with white pieces against Praggnanandhaa. The teenaged Indian did not face any troubles with black pieces, with the players agreeing to a draw after 30 moves in an equal Bishop ending. The first game on Tuesday had ended in a stalemate after over four hours of play and 70-plus moves, following which Carlsen said he was a bit under the weather. The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa had stunned world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana on Monday via the tie-break in the semifinals to set up a summit clash with Carlsen at the World Cup. Praggnanandhaa, thus, became the third youngest player after the legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates

Chess World Cup: Anand calls current lot golden generation of Indian chess

With India producing chess Grandmasters aplenty besides setting a name for itself on the world stage, legendary Indian GM Viswanathan Anand firmly believes that the current lot happens to be a golden generation in Indian chess. His comments came at a time when the Indian players have hogged the limelight in the Chess World Cup in Baku (Azerbaijan), where young GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is competing in the final against reigning world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Speaking to a weekly news magazine, Anand was quoted as saying that he was amazed by the fact that most of the current lot possesses a 2,700-plus Elo rating, especially below 20 years of age, terming it "special". I'm throwing in the title early, but they are a golden generation. They are all in the 2,700-plus group (Elo rating). And they're all under 20. That just does not happen; it's really something special." "And what this means, and the reason I call them the golden generation, is they're going to spend the next

Chess World Cup Final: Praggnanandhaa holds Carlsen to a draw in first game

Indian GM R Praggnanandhaa held his own against World No.1 Magnus Carlsen to secure a draw in the first classical game of the final of the FIDE World Cup chess tournament here on Tuesday. The 18-year old Indian GM was impressive against a fancied and higher rated opponent and forced a stalemate in 35 moves while playing white pieces. This means Carlsen will have the advantage of playing white in the second game of the two-match classical series on Wednesday. Praggnanandhaa had stormed into the final by shocking world No.3 Fabiano Caruana 3.5-2.5. The Indian teenager became only the second player from the country to reach the final of the World Cup after the legendary Viswanathan Anand and has already qualified for the Candidates tournament in 2024.

Mother deserves all credit for Praggnanandhaa's success: Father Rameshbabu

The glint in R Nagalakshmi's eyes and that disarming smile standing in a corner of a room while watching her son ace the battle of 64 squares has been one of the most photogenic moments of GM R Praggnanandhaa's dream run during the ongoing World Cup Chess in Baku. The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa, who has reached the summit clash featuring legendary five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, had none other than the iconic Gary Kasparov, acknowledging the Indian GM's mother's role, which was akin to his own playing days. The Indian sporting scenario is replete with examples of parents, who have had massive influence in shaping their children's career. Just like three and half decades back, the photograph of a young Grandmaster named Viswanthan Anand, playing chess while seated on a swing with his mother Sushila, left a lasting impression, the satisfaction that was writ large on Nagalakshmi's face after Praggnanandhaa win over Arjun Ergaisi won't be forgotten in a hurry either. "I must .

It's a special kind of support: Garry Kasparov hails Praggnanandhaa, mother

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa's incredible run in the Chess World Cup has reminded the legendary Garry Kasparov of his time as the king of 64 squares. Impressed with the teen sensation's win over world No.3 Fabiano Caruana here on Monday, the former world champion Kasparov took to Twitter, formerly X, to laud the 18-year-old's feats and his mother's efforts. "Congrats to @rpragchess and to his mother. As someone whose proud mama accompanied me to every event, it's a special kind of support! The Chennai Indian defeated two New York cowboys! He has been very tenacious in difficult positions," Kasparov tweeted. Continuing his dream run, Praggnanandhaa on Monday stunned Caruana 3.5-2.5 via the tie-break in the semifinals to set up a summit clash with world number one and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway at the FIDE's premier event. Praggnanandhaa defeated Caruana after four rapid tiebreak games and thereafter stormed into the final of the showpiece. After the .

Defending in pressure situations is Praggnanandhaa's hallmark: India coach

R Praggnanandhaa's ability to defend seamlessly in pressure situations and the deductive mind to quickly gauge his opponent's weakness is the hallmark of a world class player, national coach GM M Shyam Sundar said on Tuesday. The Indian champion now faces the Norwegian superstar Magnus Carlsen in the final of the FIDE World Cup, one of the game's biggest events. According to GM Shyam, who is in Baku, Praggnanandhaa has an all-round game. "One of his biggest strengths is his ability to defend bad positions even against the absolute elite. His calculational abilities are excellent and he can confidently convert better positions to a win," he said. Most importantly, Praggnanandhaa is good in all formats, he reckons. "I believe that's one of the key factors that helped him reach the finals (here)! He also felt that "Pragg has very strong family support. The positive energy is definitely a bliss for him." Also, the emergence of a bunch of talented youngsters and a healthy competition

Chess World Cup: Praggnanandhaa shocks Caruana, to meet Carlsen in final

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa stunned world No.3 Fabiano Caruana 3.5-2.5 via the tie-break in the semifinals of the FIDE World Cup chess tournament here on Monday. After the two-game classical series ended 1-1, the 18-year-old Indian prodigy outlasted the highly-rated American GM in a battle of wits in a nerve-wracking tie-breaker. Praggnanandhaa will now take on Norway's Magnus Carlsen in the final. "Pragg goes through to the final! He beats Fabiano Caruana in the tiebreak and will face Magnus Carlsen now. What a performance!," chess legend Viswanathan Anand posted on 'X', formerly Twitter.

Chess World Cup: Praggnanandhaa holds Caruana to draw forces tie-break

Teenaged Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa drew the second game of the FIDE World Cup semifinal against American GM Fabiano Caruana on Sunday to push the contest into a tie-break. The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa tied the two-match classical series against Caruana 1-1. The two players will take part in a tie-break on Monday to decide who advances to the final against world No.1 Magnus Carlsen. Sunday's match between Praggnanandhaa and world No.3 Caruana ended in a stalemate in 47 moves. Carlsen, who had won the first game on Saturday, settled for a draw in 74 moves against Azerbaijan player Nijat Abasov to book his spot in the final. This was the first time the Norwegian superstar has made it to the World Cup final. Praggnanandhaa, teenaged chess star from Chennai, became only the second Indian ever to qualify for the semifinals of the World Cup after the legendary Viswanathan Anand and he will also feature in the Candidates tournament next year. The top three finishers in the ..

Chess WC: Praggnanandhaa's mother gets emotional after son's historic feat

In the viral picture, which is going around on the internet, Nagalakshmi could be seen smiling beside her son, who was giving an interview.

Chess WC: Praggnanandhaa becomes first Indian after Anand to enter semis

With the win, the 17-year-old Praggnanandhaa booked a place in the semifinals against American ace Fabiano Caruana and almost secured a spot in next year's Candidates event.

Chess World Cup 2023: How have Indian players created a buzz without Anand?

Five Indians, four men and a woman reached the quarterfinals of the Chess World Cup 2023 being held in Baku, Azerbaijan. This is the first instance where more than one Indian has featured in last 8

Chess World Cup: D Gukesh goes down fighting against Magnus Carlsen

Indian Grandmasters D Gukesh and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi bowed out of the FIDE World Cup chess tournament after losing to Norwegian Magnus Carlsen and Azerbaijan's Nijat Abasov respectively here on Wednesday. R Pragganandhaa, however, bounced back after losing the first game of the two-game classical series against fellow Indian Arjun Erigaisi to force a tie-break, which will be played on Thursday to decide who advances to the last four. The 17-year-old Gukesh, who had lost the first game on Tuesday, faced an uphill task against world No.1 Carlsen with black pieces. He managed to secure a draw in 59 moves but that was not enough as the Norwegian superstar moved ahead with a 1.5-0.5 margin. In a must-win situation, 18-year-old Praggu, playing black against a confident Erigaisi, soaked in the pressure and prevailed in a 75-move game to level the match at 1-all. In another quarterfinal, Gujrathi, who had earned a draw in the first game, lost the second to Azerbaijan's Abasov in 44 move

Chess World Cup: Gukesh to face world No.1 Magnus Carlsen in quarterfinals

Three Indian players D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIDE World Cup chess tournament here on Sunday. Gukesh defeated China's Wang Hao 1.5-0.5 to set up a much-awaited quarterfinal clash against world No.1 Magnus Carlsen while Praggnanandhaa completed a win to book a match against compatriot Erigaisi, making sure an Indian will feature in the semifinal. After Saturday's win in game 1, Gukesh played a solid match with white pieces to secure a draw against Hao to book his spot in the quarterfinals. Carlsen defeated Ukrainian legend Vassily Ivanchuk in the second game to post a 2-0 win. Erigaisi settled for a quick draw against Sweden's Nils Grandelius to move into the last eight. Meanwhile, Vidit Gujrathi and D Harika drew for a second time against their respective Russian opponents and will play in Monday's tie-breaker. Gujrathi drew with fourth seed Ian Nepomniachtchi in 49 moves while Harika shared honours with second-seeded ...