In the second rapid game of the day in the Chess World Cup final, Magnus Carlsen took the game by storm and R Praggnanandhaa chose to shake hands and agree to a draw.
Carlsen played a very aggressive King’s Indian Defense and quickly built up a significant advantage. Praggnanandhaa tried to defend, but Carlsen was simply too strong and eventually forced a resignation on move 27.
The draw in the first rapid game meant that the match was now tied at 1-1, and the two players would need to win one of the remaining two rapid games to claim the title.
In the second rapid game, Carlsen showed no signs of letting up. He continued to play aggressively and Praggnanandhaa was once again unable to find a way to defend. The game ended in another resignation, this time on move 26.
With two wins in the rapid games, Carlsen is now the clear favorite to win the Chess World Cup. He will need to win one of the two blitz games to claim the title, but he is the odds-on favorite to do so.
Pragggnanandhaa has shown great promise in this tournament, but he was simply outmatched by Carlsen in the rapid games. The 18-year-old Indian grandmaster will learn a lot from this experience and will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come.
The Chess World Cup final is now set to go to a blitz tiebreaker. The two players will play four games of blitz chess, with the winner being the first player to win two games. If the score is tied after four games, the players will play two more games of blitz chess, with the winner being the first player to win one game.
The blitz tiebreaker is sure to be an exciting affair, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Carlsen is the clear favorite, but Praggnanandhaa has shown that he is capable of beating the world champion. The title is still up for grabs, and it will be a closely fought battle.