Baku: Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa could not pull off a repeat of his giant-killing acts of the last few days as fancied Magnus Carlsen beat him 1.5-0.5 in the tie-break to win the FIDE World Cup in on Thursday.
The two classical games on Tuesday and Wednesday had ended in draws, forcing the final classical game.
Carlsen overcame a stiff challenge from his 18-year-old Indian opponent in the first tie-break game, winning it in 45 moves.
Praggnanandhaa second Indian after Anand to qualify for final
Praggnanandhaa was the second Indian, after Viswanathan Anand, to qualify for the Chess World Cup final. Anand, though, had gone on to win the FIDE World Cup, held under a different format, in 2000 and 2002.
Praggnanandhaa had a remarkable run throughout the tournament. He beat World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura and World No.3 Fabiano Caruana to set up a final date against the World No 1 Carlsen.
By progressing to the semi-finals, Praggnanandhaa had already qualified for the Candidates tournament next year. It helped the Chennai-born chess player to become the third youngest player after Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates tournament.
Wrote a golden chapter in Indian chess history
Though Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa lost narrowly in the final, he 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.
PM praises Praggnanandhaa
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Chess Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa for a remarkable performance at the FIDE World Cup.
The Prime Minister posted on X (formerly Twitter): "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."
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