Baku: The excitement at the Federation International des Echecs (FIDE) World Cup final reached its peak as the second game of classical chess between the renowned Magnus Carlsen and rising star Praggnanandhaa concluded in a draw on Wednesday. The much-anticipated clash between these chess titans has gripped the chess community, with the tournament’s ultimate victor set to be determined in an impending playoff.
The International Chess Federation took to the digital platform X, also known as Twitter, to share the outcome with eager fans worldwide.
Magnus Carlsen takes a quiet draw with white against Praggnanandhaa and sends the final to tiebreaks. The winner of the #FIDEWorldCup will be decided tomorrow!
📷 Maria Emelianova pic.twitter.com/aJw1vvoFnK
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) August 23, 2023
The first game of classical chess saw Carlsen and the Indian prodigy Praggnanandhaa battle it out to a draw after 35 moves. With the second game also ending in a tie, the players are now poised for a series of rapid chess games to ultimately crown the winner of this year’s Chess World Cup final, currently underway in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Praggnanandhaa exhibited a strong opening strategy in the initial phase, gaining a time advantage over the Norwegian grandmaster. However, Carlsen’s strategic prowess allowed him to recover and respond effectively, showcasing his ability to adapt to his opponent’s tactics.
Continuing their intense competition, both grandmasters engaged in the second classical game on Wednesday, with Magnus Carlsen having the advantage of playing with the white pieces.
Having triumphed over World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana in tiebreaks, Praggnanandhaa’s journey to the final has set the stage for an epic showdown with the reigning chess champion, Carlsen.
As the classical chess games remain evenly matched, the spotlight now shifts to the impending playoff scheduled for Thursday. The tiebreak procedure involves two rapid chess games, each played with a time control of 25 minutes and a 10-second increment per move. If a definitive outcome still eludes, the format proceeds to two ‘slow blitz’ games, where players have 10 minutes per move with an additional 10-second increment.
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