In a thrilling encounter at the FIDE World Cup chess tournament on Thursday, Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa emerged victorious against fellow Indian Arjun Erigaisi with a nail-biting 5-4 score, securing his spot through a sudden death tie-break.
This triumph not only paves Praggnanandhaa's path to the semifinals, where he is slated to face the American chess maestro Fabiano Caruana but also substantially increases his chances of qualifying for next year's coveted Candidates event. If he does, the 17-year-old sensation from Chennai would join the ranks of the legendary five-time world champion, Viswanathan Anand, becoming only the second Indian to participate in the Candidates.
Given that the world No.1, Magnus Carlsen, is anticipated to skip the Candidates, Praggnanandhaa might find himself competing in the tournament which will eventually determine who challenges the current world champion, Ding Liren.
The quarterfinal was marked by Praggnanandhaa's commendable resilience. After facing defeat in the first game of the two-game classical series, he clinched victory in the second game on Wednesday, pushing the match into a tie-break. During the first 5+3 blitz game, he showcased remarkable strategy against Erigaisi, although Erigaisi retaliated with an equalizer in the following game. As the competition progressed, both players bagged victories in the third and fourth games, driving the match to its sudden death climax. An intriguing pattern emerged as each of these games saw victors who played with black pieces.
The intensity of the match garnered attention from many, including noted coach R B Ramesh, who took to X (previously known as Twitter) to share his enthusiasm: "What an epic match! Well played both young lions! Proud of both players for their fighting spirit throughout! @rpragchess @ArjunErigaisi."
While this match was the highlight, it's noteworthy to mention that two other Indian prodigies, D Gukesh and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, were unable to progress past the quarterfinals. They faced defeat against world No.1 Carlsen and Nijat Abasov, respectively.
The top contenders of this tournament will be vying for the three available spots in the 2024 Candidates event, the gateway to challenge Ding Liren for the world title.
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