Prague: Continuing India’s dominance in the world of chess, Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram secured the first major title of his career by winning the prestigious Prague Masters Chess Tournament. The 25-year-old from Tamil Nadu outplayed several renowned players to claim the top spot. In the ninth and final round, Aravindh played a draw against Turkey’s Gurel Ediz, finishing with a total of six points to lift the championship trophy.
World No. 8 R Praggnanandhaa secured a joint second-place finish with five points, alongside Chinese top seed Wei Yi and Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri. Praggnanandhaa, however, suffered a setback in the final round, losing to Giri.
Composure in the Decisive Round
In the last round, Aravindh, playing with black pieces, employed the Caro-Kann Defense. His opponent, Gurel Ediz, opted for the Advance Variation of the King’s Pawn Opening but soon lost a pawn, leading to a complex middlegame. Aravindh maintained his composure and kept the situation under control. After multiple move repetitions, both players agreed to a draw, ensuring Aravindh’s triumph.
Aravindh’s Reaction After Victory
Expressing his delight after the win, Aravindh said, “I hadn’t slept well for the past two days. Until the seventh round, I felt completely fine, but after gaining the lead, I started feeling the pressure.” He thanked his coach, Grandmaster R B Ramesh, and described his performance against Anish Giri as the best of his tournament.
A Tough Battle for Praggnanandhaa
On the other hand, Praggnanandhaa faced a challenging game against Anish Giri. Despite an aggressive start with the King’s Indian Defense, he could not convert it into a favorable result. Giri played strategically, sacrificing a rook in exchange for a minor piece at a crucial moment, ultimately turning the game in his favor.
Other Key Performances
In the other final-round matches, Czech Grandmaster David Navara and American GM Sam Shankland played to a draw. Meanwhile, Germany’s Vincent Keymer was held to a draw by Czech player Nguyen Thai Dai Van despite being in a winning position.
In the Women’s Challengers category, India’s Divya Deshmukh staged a strong comeback, defeating Greece’s Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis. The category saw Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Yakubboev and Denmark’s Jonas Buhl Bjerre emerge as joint winners with seven points each.
