King Carlsen easily wins tiebreaker to take crown
Trust Magnus Carlsen to be a great spoiler. R Praggnanandhaa's superb run to the World Cup chess final was almost too good to be true. The Norwegian world No. 1 outplayed the Indian teen in tiebreaks to win the only title missing from his kitty at Baku on Thursday.
The 32-year-old didn't even need 10-minute games to stop Prag. It was all over in the first set of two rapid games (25 mins and 10-sec increments) as Carlsen won the first and drew the next. He won $110,000 and Prag $80,000.
AS IT HAPPENED: CHESS WORLD CUP FINAL
Prag will play the Candidates tournament in April, whose winner will challenge world champion Ding Liren.
Prag's dream run ends as King Carlsen stamps his authority
Prag was expected to give Carlsen a closer fight but he proved to be more skillful and knowledgeable. This is not the first time Carlsen had put a dagger in the heart of Indian supporters. He came to Chennai for the World Championship as Challenger 10 years ago and dethroned V Anand from his perch. He retained the crown by beating Anand again in Sochi next year.
In both those matches, he was the clear favourite for his greater ability to bite hard and age was on his side too. The roles were somewhat reversed in Baku. The Norwegian was the older of the two but remained stronger.
1/10:Praggnanandhaa falls in final hurdle as Carlsen wins World Cup
AFP
2/10:Praggnanandhaa falls short in finale
<p>Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa's dream run in the FIDE World Cup ended at the hands of world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen on Thursday in Baku. <br /></p>AFP
3/10:World no.1 triumphs
<p>Carlsen beat Praggnanandhaa 1.5-0.5 in the tie-break after the classical games ended in a stalemate.<br /></p>ANI
4/10:Carlsen took 1st tie-break, 2nd was a draw
<p>The second 25+10 tie-break game ended in a draw in 22 moves as the Norwegian legend played it safe after he had won the first, displaying his end-game skills.<br /></p>PTI
5/10:Maiden World Cup title
<p>It was Carlsen's first World Cup triumph, having won the World Championship five times.<br /></p>ANI
6/10:Praggnanandhaa's stiff challenge
<p>Carlsen overcame a stiff challenge from his 18-year-old Indian opponent in the first tie-break game, winning it in 45 moves. He overcame the problems he encountered due to Praggnanandhaa's enterprising play to turn the tables and seize the advantage.<br /></p>PTI
7/10:Classical games drawn
<p>The two classical games on Tuesday and Wednesday had ended in draws forcing the final to a tie-break.<br /></p>AFP
8/10:A sensational run
<p>Praggnanandhaa enjoyed an incredible run in the tournament, having beaten world No.2 Hikaru Nakamura and world No.3 Fabiano Caruana to set up a final date against Carlsen.<br /></p>PTI
9/10:Praggnanandhaa qualifies Candidates 2024
<p>The results in the ongoing tournament also helped Praggnanandhaa qualify for Candidates 2024 tournament, which will be held in Canada.<br /></p>PTI
10/10:Third Indian to qualify for Candidates chess
<p>Praggnanandhaa is the third youngest player after the legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates tournament.<br /></p>PTIHowever, Carlsen once again underlined that the younger generation still has some catching up to do before they can claim to have matched his endgame prowess and champion's attitude.
The Indian, who was high on confidence after beating No. 3 Hikaru Nakamura, Erigaisi Arjun and No. 2 Fabiano Caruana, tried to win the initiative in the first rapid game with white pieces. But Carlsen showed his peerless command in the endgame to win in 47 moves of Modern Bishop's opening.
Prag was better out of the opening and was pressing hard on the kingside. With his queen manoeuvred to g-file and attack on the 'f7' pawn, Prag was in a position where he could have called the shots. But Carlsen first found the king move (16...Kg7), eased the pressure and followed that with exchange of queen and rook.
What followed (two knights, rook and four pawns vs knight, bishop, rook and four pawns) was a supremely coordinated attack of two knights dancing to strangle the king. His rook almost circulated on the board, landing on 'a3' square from 'a8' via the h8-h3 route. The final act involved a mating threat too.
Carlsen opted for Sicilian Alapin in the second game, also regarded as Anti-Sicilian against Black. Prag was facing a must-win game with Black. But Carlsen's level was a couple of notches higher. He spent just four minutes to Prag's 14. The draw was agreed after 22 moves when only four pawns, rook, knight and light-coloured bishops remained on the board.
1/10:A proud mother's emotions during chess prodigy Praggnanandhaa's biggest tests
2/10:Love in the eyes
<p>Praggnanandhaa's proud mother looks at her prodigious son during the 2023 FIDE Chess World Cup in Baku.</p>
3/10:Sending best wishes
<p>Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa's loving mother Nagalakshmi, who accompanies him to all competitions, sending best wishes to her son during the World Cup.<br /></p>
4/10:On the edge of her seat
<p>Nagalakshmi, R Praggnanandhaa's mother, looks on nervously as her son plays a crucial match at the FIDE World Cup.<br /></p>
5/10:Keeping a close watch
<p>Praggnanandhaa's mother kept a close watch on her son, who became the third youngest player to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, during the FIDE World Cup in Baku.<br /></p>
6/10:All Set!
<p>Praggnanandhaa ahead of the summit clash against World No.1 Magnus Carlsen. 'Prag' drew the two classical games, before going down fighting in the tie-breaker.<br /></p>
7/10:The hand shake
<p>Praggnanandhaa shakes hands with Magnus Carlsen after drawing the two rounds of the summit clash, which took the final to the tie-break.<br /></p>
8/10:Fluctuating emotions
<p>Nagalakshmi, Praggnanandhaa's mother, shows two extreme emotions as she lends her support to the chess prodigy.<br /></p>
9/10:Message from a guru: 'A special kind of support'
<p>Chess legend Garry Kasparov sends his congratulations to the youngster and calls his mother's support that of a special kind.<br /></p>
10/10:A joyous smile
<p>R Praggnanandhaa smiles after winning his semi-final match against Fabiano Caruana, the World No.3.<br /></p>The champion enjoyed a better position in this game from the word go. He would have given Prag a hard time in saving this position had he faced a must-win situation. The boy from Chennai can hold his head high for trying to win the initiative in the first game.
But he may have to look higher to match Carlsen's vision. Excelling in classical chess is not Carlsen's top priority now. Still he defeated D Gukesh in the quarterfinals in his own game. Then he held Prag to two easy draws while recovering from food poisoning.
Carlsen made it look like child's play. But even he is aware that the challenge from the Indian young brigade is going to be real. More so because the chess circuit is now also about online and blitz games with good prize money.
