The teenager is already in the Candidates Tournament and will be eyeing the ultimate title, that of the world champion.
Just a week before the start of the FIDE World Cup, R Praggnanandhaa coach RB Ramesh tweeted that the ‘Era of youngsters has begun’.
A week into the tournament, four Indian youngsters, for the first time ever, made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament, and stunningly, Ramesh’s ward made it to the final. More importantly, he confirmed his spot in the eight-player Candidates Tournament, the winner of which gets to challenge current world champion Ding Liren.
It’s not just that the 18-year-old Pragg reached the final against Magnus Carlsen — which he lost on Thursday — but also how he made it there. He outlasted World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura, fellow teen prodigy and compatriot Arjun Erigaisi, and World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana in tie-breakers to become the youngest World Cup finalist ever. Seeded 31, Pragg is also the lowest seed to make the final of the World Cup.
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