FIDE World Cup: Praggnanandhaa draws Nakamura in first game of semifinals

R Praggnanandhaa held fancied American player Fabiano Caruana to a draw in the first game of the semifinals of the FIDE World Cup chess tournament

Baku: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa held fancied American player Fabiano Caruana to a draw in the first game of the semifinals of the FIDE World Cup chess tournament here on Saturday.

The 17-year old Praggnanandhaa waged a gritty battle against the American to share the honours in 78 moves.

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Having drawn Saturday’s encounter with black pieces, the Indian GM now has the advantage of playing with white on Sunday.

Meanwhile, world no.1 Magnus Carlsen took a big step towards the final by beating local favorite Nijat Abasov in game 1 of the two-game classical series.

By becoming only the second Indian after legendary Vishwanathan Anand to reach the semifinals of the World Cup, Praggnanandhaa booked a spot in the Candidates event in 2024 to determine the challenger to Ding Liren.