Prior to his FIDE World Cup 2023 final matchup with World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in Baku, All-India Chess Federation (AICF) President Dr. Sanjay Kapoor spoke with Ramessbabu Praggnanandhaa and informed him that he not only carries his exceptional skills into the final but also the hopes and aspirations of a whole nation.
In the semifinal, the 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa overcame the third-ranked American player in the world, Fabiano Caruana, on tie-breaks to go to a championship match against the five-time World Champion from Norway.
In a telephone call on Tuesday, Kapoor congratulated Praggnanandhaa on his triumph against Caruana and wished the brilliant talent from India success in his matchup with Carlsen.
“I had the privilege of speaking to Praggnanandhaa and conveyed to him the immense pride that the entire nation feels for his remarkable achievement. Our hearts are filled with hope and anticipation for his performance in the finals,” Kapoor informed in a statement on Tuesday.
During the conversation, Pragg, as he is fondly called, inquired whether the AICF president will be in Baku on Wednesday for his summit clash with Carlsen, Kapoor told him that he will enthusiastically stand by his side.
“Standing by his side, I will embody the aspirations of the entire nation as we collectively support him in his journey. Our unwavering belief in his abilities and the full weight of our support are behind him, propelling him forward with great confidence,” said Kapoor, who also conveyed to Pragg the immense pride that the entire nation feels for his remarkable achievement.
“Our hearts are filled with hope and anticipation for his performance in the finals,” he said.
“As Praggnanandhaa faces the challenges of the finals, let us remember that he carries not only his exceptional skills but also the hopes and dreams of an entire nation. We stand united, confident in his abilities, and eagerly await his triumph,” said Kapoor.
The 32-year-old Carlsen has been defeated by Praggnandhaa on a few occasions, but in quick chess. In two different online rapid chess competitions, the Airthings Masters in February and the Chessable Masters, he defeated the legendary Norwegian player twice. He also lost in the FTX Crypto Cup last year, once in quick play and twice in blitz games.
The two players in the World Cup final will play two classical games on consecutive days, with each game lasting 90 minutes for the first 40 moves and 30 minutes for the remaining movements (with a 30 second increment starting with move one).
They will play two quick tiebreaker games on Thursday, followed by two blitz games, if they are still deadlocked.
Praggnanandhaa will follow Viswanathan Anand as the second Indian to win the FIDE World Cup if he prevails. The title was won by Anand in 2000 and 2002.
-IANS
