World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen won his maiden World Cup crown after beating India’s teenage sensation Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in the tie-breakers of the final in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan on 24 August. The 32-year-old Norweigien won the first of two tiebreak games before drawing in the second after the two players drew the first two games of the championship match.
? Magnus Carlsen is the winner of the 2023 FIDE World Cup! ?
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) August 24, 2023
Magnus prevails against Praggnanandhaa in a thrilling tiebreak and adds one more prestigious trophy to his collection! Congratulations! ?
? Stev Bonhage #FIDEWorldCup pic.twitter.com/sUjBdgAb7a
The 18-year-old from Chennai became just the second Indian to qualify for the Candidates Tournament after earning the silver medal at the competition. He was one victory away from joining the Indian legend at the pinnacle after being the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to make it to the final.
Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa, who defeated the top three players in the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Rankings, lost the opportunity to become the first player in World Cup history to win the title. He won three tie-breakers, including those in the quarterfinals and semifinals against World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura and World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana to advance to his first chess World Cup final.
Praggnanandhaa is the runner-up of the 2023 FIDE World Cup! ?
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) August 24, 2023
Congratulations to the 18-year-old Indian prodigy on an impressive tournament! ?
On his way to the final, Praggnanandhaa beat, among others, world #2 Hikaru Nakamura and #3 Fabiano Caruana! By winning the silver… pic.twitter.com/zJh9wQv5pS
Praggnanandhaa has an Elo rating of 2723, however, his recent performances serve as a timely reminder that the young player performs at his tenacious best under duress. He has earned a staggering amount of USD 80,000 (approximately Rs 66,13,444) whereas the winner is taking home USD 110K (approximately Rs 90,93,551).
He also made history earlier in his career by becoming the youngest ever international chess master at the age of 10 years, 10 months and 19 days. P
rime Minister Narendra Modi also took to X to congratulate him on this momentous achievement and lauded his impressive skills.
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
A large number of viewers tuned in to watch the sport’s two biggest names face off in an exciting conclusion after two draws. At one point, 115,000 people were watching the live broadcast of the opening game of the title match, while more than 150,000 watched the tiebreaker.
The victor of the Candidates Tournament would compete against the current champion for the title of world champion which is held by Ding Liren of China. Magnus Carlsen, a five-time winner, was dethroned by him after he opted not to defend his crown earlier this year.
