Praggnanandhaa,14, wins U-18 world title, India clinch 7 medals

Mumbai, October 12

R Praggnanandhaa emerged as the unconquered king in the World Youth Chess Championships, claiming the coveted gold in the U-18 Open category. 

The 14-year-old Grandmaster from Chennai etched out a cautious draw in the 11th and final round against Valentin Buckels of Germany to top the charts with 9 points. He, however, will have to thank compatriot IM Arjun Kalyan for engineering a crucial draw against top seeded Shant Sargsyan of Armenia. Praggnanandhaa would have been under pressure if Grand Master Shant had won; but Shant couldn’t unravel a determined Arjun, allowing Praggnanandhaa to call truce and annex the title.

The championship ended on a high note for India, with six other medals, including three silver, coming their way. The country’s U-14 girls were the toast of the day, with Divya Deshmukh and Rakshitta Ravi bringing home two medals. Top seed WIM Divya, who seemed to be out of contention midway through the event, pulled off a well-planned victory in the last round to clinch the silver. — IANS