'Deservedly No. 4': Vishy Anand lauds Praggnanandhaa's heroic win in Uzbekistan

New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) Indian chess sensation R. Praggnanandhaa continued his brilliant winning streak of the year by capturing the title in the UZChess Cup Masters 2025, marking his third major classical tournament victory of 2025.

The 19-year-old Grandmaster displayed exceptional resilience and composure to secure the crown in a dramatic finish. He scored an all-important win against local GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov with black pieces in the ninth and final round of the tournament.

This ensured that Pragg tied for the top spot with two other players, Javokhir Sindarov and Abdusattorov, all with 5.5 points at the end of nine games. The 19-year-old Grandmaster from Chennai finished on top after two rounds of tiebreak matches, finishing ahead of his two Uzbekistan opponents with 3.5 points. Sindarov was second with 3.0 points while Abdusattorov ended up third with 2.5 points in the tiebreak rounds.

Praggnanandhaa, who had earlier this year won the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands, and the Grand Chess Tour Superbet Classic in Romania, claimed his third classical title of the season.

With this victory, Praggnanandhaa not only strengthens his position among the global elite but also achieves a historic milestone by becoming the highest-rated Indian chess player in Live Rating — a testament to his rising dominance in the world of chess. He moved into fourth position in Live Rating ahead of Arjun Erigiasi, who was ranked fourth.

"Wrapped up the #UzChessCup Masters with a win in the final round and wins in tie breaks. Tiebreaks were crazy indeed. Grateful for all the support that I have received so far. Onto my next challenge to Croatia," Praggnanandhaa said in a post on X.

Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand lauded the young star on social media, writing, “Congrats to @rpraggnachess for winning the Uzbekistan Chess Cup. Third major classical victory this year. Of all his wins this year, this one seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go.”

Facing a fiercely competitive field, Praggnanandhaa mounted a remarkable comeback by defeating fellow Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi in the penultimate round. He then overcame local favourite and world top-10 Abdussattorov in the final round to tie for first place.

In a familiar display of nerve and determination, Praggnanandhaa went on to win the tiebreak — his third successful tiebreak triumph this year — sealing the title in style. He

Anand added, “In an impressive demonstration of character, he won his third tiebreak of the year as well. He is deservedly the new number four in the chess world and the highest-rated player in India.”

In the tiebreaks on Friday, Pragg, Sindarov, and Abdusattorov finished with two points each in a double round-robin blitz as Abdusattorov and Sindarov drew both their games, while Praggnanandhaa beat both with white but lost with black.

In the second round, Praggnanandhaa drew with Abdusattorov with white and beat Sindarov with black. Sindarov then beat Abdusattorov, which sealed the title for the Indian GM.

--IANS

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