Posted on 08/24/2023 9:11:55 PM PDT by libh8er
R Praggnanandhaa began the third day of his epic final with Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE World Cup on a strong note but the day, and match, ended as predicted: Carlsen, the world no. 1, winning his first ever World Cup, 2.5 - 1.5. Carlsen bossed the endgame of the first tiebreak to win the first rapid game; that result and three draws (two in classical over the past two days), gave him the title.
Praggnanandhaa, who like Carlsen was playing in his first World Cup final, will now play in the Candidates tournament in 2024, where the winner will face China's Ding Liren in the next World Championship. The 18-year-old Indian is the third youngest player after Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates tournament.
After a tight first game, which Carlsen won after bossing the endgame, he played out a cautious draw with white pieces to ensure there was no drama, In the first game with white pieces, Praggnanandhaa was comfortably placed until the endgame, but Carlsen turned on the screw to leave the Indian under time pressure before he eventually resigned.
Praggnanandhaa's opening choice put him in a comfortable position, both on the board and in terms of the clock, but the middle-game was the pendulum swing between both players. The Indian even held a small time advantage heading into the endgame.
In a relatively even position, the game was heading towards a draw, when Carlsen finally made his move with his knights advancing to threatening positions, before the Indian resigned with just about 10 seconds left on the clock.
That meant Praggnanandhaa had to win on demand with black pieces. He had done it before in this tournament, in the quarterfinal against Arjun Erigaisi, but he was facing a completely different beast here.
He began the second game with a little prayer, but soon Carlsen ensured that was in vain. The five-time world champions nous and know-how showed, as it became very clear in the opening that the world no 1 had snuffed out Praggnanandhaa's chances of winning with black pieces. After a few major pieces were traded, the players agreed to a draw, and the smile on Carlsen's face was the only show of emotion from either player. The Norwegian has now won the one title that was missing from his illustrious cabinet, to go along with his five World Championship titles.
For Praggnanandhaa, this was still a tournament to remember. He has had to come through adversity in three previous rounds before the final, and did it with aplomb. He had beaten both world no.2 Hikaru Nakamura and world no.3 Fabiano Caruana to reach the final, a feat that even he said he didn't expect.
At the age of 18, he is the youngest Chess World Cup finalist ever to date. One can be sure that this isn't the last we will hear of R Praggnanandhaa.
Just to be clear this was 2D chess, not 3D or higher.
Prag was a beast during the tournament. Crushing opponent after opponent. We are truly blessed to live in a world with MC playing chess. Hikaru mentioned, and I think this applies to most of the seasoned top GMs, that he doesn’t love chess like when he first started. Now it’s more of a business, more of a grind and requires intense concentration. Magnus has won all major chess titles. A truly remarkable achievement.
Chess has black pieces and white pieces but no brown pieces, so it is exclusionary and therefore racist. And no yellow pieces either.
It’s worse than that. In chess white always moves first. How racist is that? LOL
“The Norwegian has now won the one title that was missing from his illustrious cabinet, to go along with his five World Championship titles.”
It would be nice to see Magnus play Coffee Chess.
‘Coffee Chess Invites Magnus Carlsen To LA! Let’s Play!’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbDaDmCuytI
Definitely 2D. The normal type that doesn’t have the National Guard moving in to stop Jan 20 2021 inauguration happening, or arresting Pelosi and taking her to Gitmo, or where ‘Delta Force and the CIA’ have shootouts in Berlin.
Just normal 2D chess.
Hmmmm. What should I choose? Chess tournament, GOP debate or Ambien?
Actually it’s even worse. The advantage of white moving first often gives white, at least among expert players, a winning advantage. Players win far more often as white than they do as black. If that wasn’t bad enough consider the humiliation the black king has to suffer at the hands of white. In a check mate position the black king stands locked in place unable to move, surrounded by white.. and forced to “resign” or get killed by white. I mean the white pieces may as well be standing on the board wearing little hoods. Can you imagine a game like this being invented today ?
Carlsen is the strongest player ever to play the game. It’s too bad he tarnished his chess career by not not defending his title. I would have said he’s the greatest champion ever if he hadn’t done that. I can understand him getting tired of it, but I still have to count it against him.
It’s only important if he’s a trans-man, since they banned trans women from competing in women’s competitions.
By the way, thanks to my FRiends for educating me about the present chess rankings. My grandfather was a very good chess player, but his chess genes never passed through to me.
Oh. Never mind; excuse the click.
IF he played 100% accuracy all of the time he would be rightly accused of cheating. Nobody on the planet can match the computer. That is why we play the games. To see who makes the least mistakes that we know we are going to make.
Magnus has said he’s over classical Chess. Believe he’s still game (pun intended) for rapid/blitz.
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