Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, fondly known as Pragg, has once again made the nation proud with his commendable performance at the Prague Masters chess tournament. Pragg finished joint second, showcasing his exceptional skills and strategic acumen.

R Praggnanandhaa finishes Prague Masters on a positive note

Pragg’s journey in the tournament was marked by intense games and nail-biting finishes. In the final round, he faced off against David Navara of the Czech Republic. Despite his best efforts, the game ended in a draw. This draw, however, did not dampen Pragg’s spirits. He ended on a positive note, clocking five points alongside Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran and Ngyen Thai Dai Van of the Czech Republic.

One of the highlights of the tournament was Pragg’s victory over the overnight sole leader, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan. This win not only boosted Pragg’s standings but also showcased his ability to perform under pressure.

The tournament saw five draws happening between 10 players in the final round. Nodirbek Abdusattorov had won the event with a round to spare, clocking 6/8, and he inched up to 6.5 points for probably his career-best performance. Pragg, to his credit, ended on a plus score, tallying five points out of a possible nine.

Pragg’s performance in the Prague Masters is a testament to his growing stature in the world of chess. He goes into the candidates as the top-rated Indian, slated to be held in about four weeks from now in Toronto.

It took a mammoth effort from FIDE and various channels to resolve the visa issue for the candidates, but as of now, everything seems to be in order for one of the biggest events of the year.

With the three candidates here in the fray from India, Pragg seems to be best on form ahead of Gukesh and Gujrathi. But now that the dates for the challenger of the next world championship match are fixed, it remains to be seen who has the best nerves.

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