Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Budapest, Aug 25.- Norwegian chess player Magnus Carlsen confirmed his place among the top of the science game after winning the crown of the FIDE World Cup in Azerbaijan 2023, the only one absent from his showcase.
The Nordic genius achieved it after defeating the young Indian Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa by 2.5-1.5 points, who surprised by leaving the American Fabiano Caruana, number two in the world ranking, out of the fight for the throne.
Carlsen, who faced stomach problems during some days of the long tournament of almost a month, showed once again that he is, by a wide margin, the best player today.
After a couple of draws in the classic games of the final, the European started with white pieces the first of the matches at 25 minutes. Tranquility marked the Italian Opening, until in move 42 his rival made a mistake and was punished.
Five plays later, the advantage of the number one in the world ranking was decisive, who ended up sentencing the match. In the second of the fast pulses, Praggnanandhaa chose the Sicilian Defense and after 22 sets the equality was achieved.
Undoubtedly, the barely 18-year-old Indian is among the great talents of the science game, but he needs to harden himself for this type of encounter. The experience lived now will help him to consolidate himself in the elite.
Carlsen, on the other hand, reinforces the myth to which his resignation to defend the absolute crown in 2022 contributed, and which he apparently does not want to reconquer.
His victims in the contest were the Georgian Levan Pantsulaila (2-0), the Norwegian Aryan Tari (1.5-0.5), the German Vincent Keymer (3.5-2.5), the Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk (2 -0), the Indian Dommaraju Gukesh (1.5-0.5) and the Azeri Nijat Abasov (1.5-0.5). The latter lost in the dispute for third place against the American Fabiano Caruana. (Text: JIT) (Photo: FIDE)
