R Praggnanandhaa fought hard but failed to get past world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE World Cup final on Thursday. In the exciting match, Carlsen managed to clinch the tie-break 1.5-0.5 after the classical games ended in a stalemate.
Carlsen won the first game of the tie-break in 45 moves and had the advantage of white pieces in the second game where the tie-break ended in a draw - 25+10. The Norwegian legend played it safe after he had won the first, displaying his end-game skills.
It was Carlsen’s first World Cup triumph, having won the World Championship five times.
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Indian shone throughout the tournament and had a dream run.
Primer Minister Narendra Modi heaped praise on the young grandmaster for his exceptional performance at the world stage.
We are proud of Praggnanandhaa for his remarkable performance at the FIDE World Cup! He showcased his exceptional skills and gave a tough fight to the formidable Magnus Carlsen in the finals. This is no small feat. Wishing him the very best for his upcoming tournaments. pic.twitter.com/KXYcFRGYTO— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 24, 2023
The sports fraternity and fans on the microblogging site X, formerly known as Twitter, hailed Praggnanandhaa for his impressive show throughout the tournament.
Praggnanandhaa can come back with a candidates spot and a truly wonderful result.@FIDE_chess #FIDEWorldCup2023— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) August 24, 2023
Big Congratulations for your Greatest Fight, You’re already a Champion already ❤At 18 years of Age, you have achieved more than manyWe Proud of you #Praggnanandhaa #FIDEWorldCupFinal #FIDEChessWorldCupFinal #ChessWorldCup2023 #R_Praggnanandhaa pic.twitter.com/KN3ihTR2Au— VINEETH (@sololoveee) August 24, 2023
it’s okay #Praggnanandhaa, you still made the whole nation feel like this pic.twitter.com/qMi9tBJR5S— zomato (@zomato) August 24, 2023
King #Praggnanandhaa pic.twitter.com/ppJApCrwKk— Naks..! (@oyenakss) August 24, 2023
Well Played Champ #Praggnanandhaa ❤️ #ChessWorldCup We are proud of you Jai Hind@rpragchess pic.twitter.com/33QiUgDqbB— Ritesh Ranjan (@ranjanmania) August 24, 2023
Chin up, Champion! ❤️You’ve brought immense pride to the entire nation at the #FIDEWorldCup2023 #AavaDe | #Praggnanandhaa pic.twitter.com/bcivZe9yt0
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) August 24, 2023
Congratulations on an incredible tournament, @rpragchess!Keep chasing your dreams and making India proud. ♟️ #FIDEWorldCup— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 24, 2023
Pragg. you made us proud as usual. #praggnanandha @rpragchess— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) August 24, 2023
The results in the World Cup also helped Praggnanandhaa qualify for Candidates 2024 tournament, which will be held in Canada.
Praggnanandhaa, thus, became the third youngest player after the legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates tournament. He is only the second Indian after the legendary Anand to reach the World Cup final.
Praggnanandhaa, who finished second in the tournament, got the big prize money of USD 80,000.