World Cup Chess Final: Praggnanandhaa vs. Carlsen Game 1 Ends in Draw
In the inaugural classical match of the FIDE World Cup Chess final, Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa successfully held his ground against the reigning World No.1 Magnus Carlsen, resulting in a draw.
The 18-year-old chess prodigy, Praggnanandhaa, displayed remarkable resilience against his highly-regarded and higher-ranked opponent, securing a stalemate after 35 moves while playing with the white pieces.
Even amidst considerable time pressure, Praggnanandhaa skillfully managed to maintain parity against Carlsen in a situation where the position was objectively even. Speaking about his performance, Praggnanandhaa expressed, “I didn’t feel I was in any sort of difficulty during the game.”
Nonetheless, Carlsen will hold the advantage of playing with the white pieces in the upcoming second match of the two-game classical series on the following day.
Reflecting on the game, Praggnanandhaa acknowledged, “I thought I might have had an opportunity with the move Rb8. However, it appears this position is inherently stable and I couldn’t identify any weaknesses. While my move selection might not have been the best, I couldn’t find any better alternatives.”
Regarding the impending clash with Carlsen, he shared, “It’s going to be a challenging game. He will undoubtedly exert significant pressure. My plan is to rejuvenate and approach the game with a fresh perspective; I believe that’s my optimal approach.”
Carlsen, who had been struggling with food poisoning, noted that despite the rest day advantage, his physical condition was subpar. He quipped, “Normally, a rest day would provide me an advantage, particularly considering his taxing tie-break yesterday. However, I’ve been feeling quite unwell for the past couple of days due to food poisoning. Consequently, I remained quite composed since I lacked the energy to be nervous.”
Praggnanandhaa’s impressive journey to the final involved a stunning upset against world No.3 Fabiano Caruana, with a score of 3.5-2.5. He earned the distinction of becoming the second Indian player, following the legendary Viswanathan Anand, to reach the world cup final and secure a spot in the 2024 Candidates tournament.
