Wijk Aan Zee: Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa got here from behind to beat world champion D. Gukesh 2-1 within the tiebreaker to win the Tata Metal Masters chess event right here on Sunday.There was enormous drama typical of two younger gamers seeking to win every tiebreak sport after they ended the thirteenth and ultimate spherical of the event tied for the highest spot with 8.5 factors every.
After the 2 teenage gamers left the chess aficionados spellbound during the last a number of days with their model of aggressive and revolutionary play to guide the group, each suffered stunning losses within the ultimate spherical.
Whereas Gukesh misplaced to compatriot Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa too suffered a stunning defeat by the hands of Germany’s Vincent Keymer, however regardless of the losses they nonetheless managed 5.5 factors every to stay joint leaders.
Praggnanandhaa then confronted the Benoni with reversed colors within the first sport of the tiebreak and it appeared like he had equalised simply within the center sport. Nonetheless, Gukesh had different ideas as he stored making an attempt and received, because of a blunder by Praggnanandhaa that price him a full rook.
In a must-win second sport of the tiebreaker, Praggnanandhaa employed the Trompowsky opening, and this time Gukesh might declare a slight benefit together with his black items.
Nonetheless, by simply maintaining his place collectively, Praggnanandhaa patiently waited and capitalised on an unforced error from his opponent to first knock down a pawn after which his technical skills have been sufficient to see the conventional blitz video games by with a 1-1 rating.
This took the match into sudden-death, the place Praggnanandhaa drew white and as soon as once more Gukesh was higher with some imaginative play on the queen facet that netted him a pawn.
The sudden-death had a time management of two minutes and thirty seconds for white in opposition to three for black however that didn’t deter Praggnanandhaa from making an attempt to defend an inferior endgame.
Simply whereas the place seemed utterly drawn and one other sport was on the playing cards, Gukesh misplaced full management within the battle of nerves and first misplaced a pawn then his final remaining knight.
Praggnanandhaa confirmed good approach to take the total level and his maiden victory on the Masters.
For Gukesh, this was the second 12 months operating when he tied for first place and misplaced the tiebreaker. Within the earlier version final 12 months, Gukesh had misplaced to Chinese language Wei Yi.
