Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa suffered his first defeat at the Super Chess Classic after losing to American star Fabiano Caruana in a dramatic seventh round clash at the Grand Chess Tour event in Bucharest, Romania.
The loss dealt a significant blow to Praggnanandhaa’s hopes of finishing at the top of the standings, with only two rounds remaining in the prestigious tournament.
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Playing with the white pieces, Praggnanandhaa opened with the Queen’s Pawn system and entered the sharp Ragozine variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined. Needing a victory to stay firmly in title contention, the Indian teenager opted for an aggressive middle-game approach. However, Caruana handled the tactical complications with precision and gradually seized control of the game.
The top-seeded American launched a powerful attack on Praggnanandhaa’s king, forcing the Indian into a difficult defensive position before sealing victory in just 33 moves.
Meanwhile, Uzbek prodigy Javokhir Sindarov stunned overnight leader Vincent Keymer in another key encounter of the day. Sindarov capitalised on Keymer’s unsuccessful pawn sacrifice and converted his advantage comfortably in 40 moves.
Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest also gained ground after receiving a walkover from French player Alireza Firouzja, who withdrew from the round.
After seven rounds, Caruana, Keymer, and Van Foreest share the lead with 4.5 points each. Anish Giri sits half a point behind on 4 points.
Praggnanandhaa remains on 3.5 points alongside Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wesley So, and Sindarov. Romanian player Bogdan-Daniel Deac is placed on 2.5 points.
With a total prize pool of USD 375,000, including USD 100,000 for the winner, Praggnanandhaa still has an outside chance of securing a podium finish, although the race for the title now appears to be dominated by the current top four players.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
