Oslo Esports Cup: Indian GM Praggnanandhaa falters in final round, finishes fourth

Oslo, Apr 29 (PTI) India's teenaged Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa missed out on the top prize in the USD 210,000 Oslo Esports Cup online rapid chess tournament as he lost 0.5-2.5 to Dutch player Anish Giri in the seventh and final round to finish fourth.

The 16-year old Indian, who led the field until the fifth round, could not get past the defences of Giri in the three-game final round match late on Thursday.

He had lost 0.5-2.5 in the sixth round to Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who went on to win the tournament.

Praggnanandhaa took fourth place with 12 points behind Duda (14 points), Vietnam's Liem Quang Le (13) and world No.1 Magnus Carlsen (12) of Norway.

Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen were in the lead prior to the start of the seventh round and the duo faltered, allowing Duda to take the top prize. Carlsen was stunned 2.5-0.5 by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan in the final round.

Round seven started with four players, including Praggnanandhaa, in with a chance, but out of them, only Duda managed to win a match in regulation time and emerged triumphant.

Pragg, as he is known in chess circles, lost the first game to Dutch star Giri. The Indian youngster kept his hopes alive by hanging on for a draw in the next but it was all over when he lost the final game.

Carlsen, meanwhile, came up against an inspired opponent in Mamedyarov and was outmanoeuvred.

Praggnanandhaa had a good tournament, beating the likes of Jorden Van Foreest (the Netherlands), Mamedyarov, Liem Quang Le and Canada's Eric Hansen.

His much-awaited clash against Carlsen saw the experienced world No.1 post a crushing 3-0 win. Praggnanandhaa had hit the headlines in February when he defeated Carlsen in an online rapid event.

Oslo Esports Cup online rapid chess tournament is the first major of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour season. PTI SS PDS PDS

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