Praises Pour in for Praggnanandhaa for Historic Win at the Chess World Cup Semis
R Praggnanandhaa created history by becoming the second Indian to reach the finals of the FIDE Chess World Cup.
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Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa beat world number 3 Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana by 3.5-2.5 in the semifinal tie-break games played at Baku, Azerbaijan and, and will now battle it out against world number 1 and former world champion, Magnus Carlsen, for the title.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal congratulated him for entering the FIDE Chess World Cup final.
"18-year-old Praggnanandhaa's outstanding performance in reaching the finals of the Chess World Cup has elevated the country's name. We are all proud of this remarkable achievement. Congratulations to them for this impressive performance at such a young age!" Kejriwal posted on X.
The five-time World Champion, Viswanathan Anand also applauded Praggnanandhaa's performance. "Pragg goes through to the final! He beats Fabiano Caruana in the tiebreak and will face Magnus Carlsen now. What a performance!," he wrote on X.
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur is also all praise for Pragg as he congratulated the young star. "๐ฏ๐ฐ๐บ๐ป๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ป๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ด๐จ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ!! Congratulations to GM @rpragchess on making it to the FINAL of 2023 FIDE World Cup. Pragg's tenacity and perseverance shine bright, making him only 2nd Indian to reach the WC Final and qualify for the Candidates. India's young prodigy is on fire. Best of luck for the Final showdown, Praggnanandhaa!!" Thakur wrote.
The former sports minister Kiren Rijiju also commented on Praggnanandhaa's historical victory as he wrote, "Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, at just 18 years old, etches his name in history! He secures his spot as the youngest contender to advance to the Chess World Cup final. A truly pride-filled moment for India. Warmest congratulations! Now, onto the grand showdown!"
With this win, Praggnanandhaa has also officially qualified for the 20244 Candidates Tournament, the winner of which will be the challenger to Chinese GM Liren Ding, the reigning world champion.
As per the International Chess Federation or FIDEโs rules, the top three players in the World Cup qualify for the Candidates Tournament.
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