Chess world cup: Praggnanandhaa draws Caruana in first game of semifinals
The Hindu
Praggnanandhaa forces draw with Black pieces against Caruana in FIDE World Cup semis. Carlsen escapes trouble after Abasov overlooks winning move. Praggnanandhaa equal to challenge despite playing pawn less.
Continuing his splendid run, R. Praggnanandhaa forced a psychologically important draw with black pieces in 78 moves against World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana in the first game of their semifinal clash in the FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, on August 19.
Much before Caruana, Praggnanandhaa ended their 78-move tester with only the kings on the board, Magnus Carlsen escaped some serious trouble after local hope Nijat Abasov overlooked a winning continuation on the 34th turn, Eventually, the top seed won in 43 moves to take a 1-0 lead.
Praggnanandhaa, despite playing with a pawn less after the 41st move, was equal to the challenge. Caruana tested Praggnanandhaa’s understanding of the position which was a theoretical draw.
The young Indian played accurately when the players had a rook each but Caruana was banking on his lone pawn. The exchange of rooks hastened the end with Caruana letting Praggnanandhaa take the last pawn, too.
The players clash again on August 20 in the classical time-control with Praggnanandhaa playing with white pieces.
In the women’s final, Russian Aleksandra Goryachkina and Bulgarian Nurgyul Salimova drew in 33 moves after a three-fold repetition of the position.
For the third place, Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk led China’s Tan Zhongyi following a 52-move win.
Asian Games champion Avinash Sable opened his season in the 3000m steeple chase with a silver in the Portland Track Festival, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Oregon on Saturday. He clocked 8:21.85s. Asian champion Parul Chaudhary took the bronze in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in a season-best 9:31.38s. Former Asian bronze medallist Sanjivani Jadhav struck gold in the women’s 10,000m in 32:22.77s, a time which was a second off her personal best, while Seema was sixth in 32:55.91s.