R Praggnanandhaa of India suffered an agonizing loss to World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE Chess World Cup final on Thursday in Baku.
In Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday, Magnus Carlsen triumphed when it mattered and defeated R. Praggnanandhaa 2.5-1.5 to win his first World Cup championship.
When Praggnanandhaa’s perception of danger failed him and he made a mistake under time pressure on the 42nd turn, Carlsen won the first rapid game after the two classical games finished in draws. Praggnanandhaa lost his bishop in the following five moves, and after 47 moves, he resigned.
In the second game, with black pieces, Praggnanandhaa was in a must-win situation but was unable to get into a position from which he could put Carlsen under pressure. It quickly became apparent that Praggnanandhaa could only, at best, draw the game, which he eventually did in just 22 moves.
CHESS WORLD CUP 2023 FINAL TIEBREAKS HIGHLIGHTS: PRAGGNANANDHAA VS. CARLSEN
I could’ve performed better in the tie-breaker, Praggnanandhaa said. Magnus is highly skilled at these shorter time controls. I should have fought harder after the first game, but it was challenging to play Magnus with black pieces in a game that I needed to win. But it’s vital that I qualify for the Candidates, so I’m thrilled about that.
Carlsen declared, “It is well known that I do not feel well physically. In order to have an extra day of recuperation, I was delighted that the match went to a tie-breaker. However, I was practically worn out. Experience won the day today. In today’s game, there were two crucial moments. In the beginning, he surprised me. I’ll be quite honest: I had no idea what he was playing.
I tried to reply with sensible actions. Additionally, I thought Praggnanandhaa played impulsively today, which is something he often doesn’t do. Once he entered a time scramble, I was able to easily win by taking advantage of the weak squares. Prag performed admirably throughout the competition. He gave an outstanding performance. He made two mistakes today that cost him.
Carlsen selected to rank his first classical match:- Chess World Cup
Carlsen selected to rank his first classical match versus D. Gukesh as the finest match of his competition. “Gukesh is incredibly strong, and he was kind of unlucky to face me that one day when I really showed my best,” the author said.
The outcome saw Praggnanandhaa gain $80,000 (about Rs. 66,10,724) and Carlsen win $110,000. Later, Fabiano Caruana won 3-1 over Nijat Abasov by winning the first two quick games, and he came in third.
Praggnanandhaa led India’s push in the championship match
Although Praggnanandhaa led India’s push in the championship match, this World Cup will be remembered for Carlsen’s class. Four Indians, including fourth-seeded Vidit Gujrathi, defeated the final Russian, Ian Nepomniachtchi, to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time. As he performed far above his ranking, Praggnanandhaa defeated Hikaru Nakamura and Caruana, the world’s No. 2 player.
