R Praggnanandhaa first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to enter World Cup semis | Chess News – Times of India
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Erigaisi Arjun and R Praggnanandhaa - two teenage friends - went toe-to-toe and braincell-to-braincell before the latter emerged winner in their World Cup chess quarterfinal in Baku on Thursday.The reward for the 18-year-old is a date with Fabiano Caruana in the semis - he is the first Indian after Vishy Anand in the WC last four - and at least $50,000 in prize money. But importantly, he secures a spot in the Candidates tournament in 2024, the winner of which will play China's Ding Liren for the world crown.The intense tiebreak drama between the two Indians exploded from the 10-min games after a set of the first two rapid games ended in draws.Praggu prevails after heart-stopping dramaVeteran GM Peter Leko said during the webcast, "Sensational match...there were mistakes but the pl...