FIDE Chess World Cup Final: Praggnanandhaa Draws 2nd Game Against Carlsen, Match Goes to Tiebreaks

Baku: Indian grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa drew with world champion Magnus Carlsen in the round 2 game of the FIDE Chess World Cup final on Wednesday. The 18-year-old held his ground with the black pieces, and the match will now go to tiebreaks on Thursday.

Praggnanandhaa had already secured a place in the Candidates Tournament 2024, which will determine the challenger for the world championship, by virtue of reaching the final. He is the third-youngest player to qualify for the Candidates, after Magnus Carlsen and Bobby Fischer.

Praggnanandhaa is only the second Indian player, after Viswanathan Anand, to reach the final of the Chess World Cup. He is also the youngest player to do so.

The tiebreaks will consist of two rapid games, followed by two blitz games if necessary. The player with the most wins will be declared the winner.

Praggnanandhaa is the underdog in the tiebreaks, but he has shown that he is capable of playing at a high level against Carlsen. The match is sure to be exciting, and it will be interesting to see if Praggnanandhaa can pull off an upset.