Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu defeated world champion, Magnus Carlsen, for the third time in just six months to finish runner-up at the FTX Crypto Cup, the American finale of the Champions Chess Tour, in Miami.
Praggnanandhaa defeated Carlsen in the blitz playoff in the seventh round after being tied 2-2 in the regulation game to finish runner-up with 15 points in the standings. After two drawn games, Carlsen clinched the third while Praggnanandhaa won the fourth game, pushing the match into the tie-breaks where the 17-year-old Indian Grandmaster startled the world champion by winning both the games.
Earlier in February, Praggnanandhaa had risen to prominence by beating world champion Carlsen in an online chess match. At the Airthings Masters rapid chess competition, Carlsen lost to Praggnanandhaa, then only 16.
Carlsen won the top award based on a higher score, finishing with 16 points to the Indian prodigy's count of 15.
"I've been playing all day badly, but now, I'm getting the results I deserve. It's never good to lose, but this is as good a time as any!" Carlsen quoted after the match. Another highly-rated teen and a prodigy, Alireza Firouzja, also finished on 15 points but settled for the third spot, losing his clash against Praggnanandhaa earlier.