Chessable Masters 2022: Praggnanandhaa loses final to Ding Liren in tie-breaker after superb comeback

Youngest Indian GrandMaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa almost pulled off an upset during the 2022 Chessable Masters final. He was up against Ding Liren of China in the two-round final. While he was trailing significantly, he launched an incredible fightback bid to force a tie-break, where he lost in the fourth leg of the nine-round Champions Chess Tour, worth ₹1.6 million. It was a blunder from the Indians that cost him his incredible run, losing 2.5-1.5, 0.5-1.5 in the tie-break playoffs. Earlier, the 16-year-old had a fine start to the competition, where he defeated reigning world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway.

In the rapid section of the tournament, Praggnanandhaa was impressive with his tactics, which led to experts shaking their heads and wondering. In the four-round mini-game, he won the second, while the first had ended in a draw. Praggnanandhaa won $15,000 as his prize money as the runner-up, besides winning $6,250 as a bonus. Liren bagged $25,000 as his prize money, besides winning the same compensation as the Indian.

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After the final, Praggnanandhaa has even bettered his reputation in the sport globally, while he happened to be the third youngest in the competition. The 29-year old Liren used his experience to the fullest, especially in the second. He won in 49 moves to end Praggnanandhaa's domination in the second.

Earlier, Praggnanandhaa had won the second in 79 moves to force the tie-break. The next game saw the two dish out a 106-move draw before another stalemate meant the tie-breaker would decide the title. Following the final, Praggnanandhaa's coach RB Ramesh acclaimed the youngster by noting on Twitter.

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"Congratulations, Ding, for beating both Pragg AND the mosquitoes! Proud of you @rpragchess, showed good nerves and character overall in tough situations," Ramesh wrote. The Indian had beaten the top-rated Anish Giri of the Netherlands in the semis to become the first Indian to reach the event's final. He had also defeated Wei Yi of China in the quarters.