Chessable Masters: Indian GM Praggnanandhaa loses final to Liren

Chennai, May 27

Young Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa went down fighting to world No. 2 Ding Liren in a tie-break in the final of the Chessable Masters 2022 online tournament in the wee hours of Friday.

The 16-year-old Indian fought back to win the second set after losing the opener, but he then lost the two-game blitz tie-breaker.

The Indian teenager, who had lost the first set 1.5-2.5 on Day 1 of the final, hit back to win 2.5-1.5 on Day 2 to take the contest into the blitz tie-break. The 29-year old Chinese player used his experience to trump Praggnanandhaa in the second game in the tie-breaker. After the first blitz game ended in a draw, Liren won the next in 49 moves to dash the Indian teenager’s hopes.

Earlier, in the second set, which he needed to win to force a tie-break, Praggnanandhaa scored an all-important victory in the second game in 79 moves.

The next game saw the two players dish out a 106-move draw before another stalemate, sending the final into a tie-breaker.