Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa moved closer to the final of the Grand Chess Tour’s concluding event after defeating Germany’s Vincent Keymer in a hard-fought second classical game on Monday.
Praggnanandhaa now holds a commanding 9-3 lead in the semifinal and needs just six more points to reach the final of the $450,000 tournament.
The Indian suffered some early setbacks while playing White in a Bishop’s Opening, with Keymer gaining a promising position and opportunities to put pressure on the White king.
However, the game soon changed dramatically after Keymer fell for a tactical sequence that allowed Praggnanandhaa to win a rook in exchange for a knight.
The advantage shifted firmly towards the Indian grandmaster, who also had an advanced passed pawn while Keymer’s rook became trapped.
Praggnanandhaa closes in on final spot
With both players under severe time pressure, Keymer continued to search for counterplay. Praggnanandhaa, however, maintained his advantage as the game entered the second time control.
The Indian eventually came close to delivering checkmate before Keymer resigned on the 55th move.
The victory gave Praggnanandhaa a crucial 9-3 advantage in the semifinal. With six points now separating him from the qualification mark, the Indian is in a strong position heading into the remaining rapid and blitz games.
Two rapid games remain, with four points awarded for a win, followed by four blitz games worth two points for each victory.
Caruana and Wesley So draw
In the other semifinal, Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So played out a draw.
Caruana appeared to have the upper hand from the opening, producing strong preparation in the Berlin Defence and building a significant advantage.
Wesley So, however, survived the pressure and capitalised on errors by Caruana to reach a drawn king-and-pawn endgame. The game lasted 50 moves, leaving the semifinal evenly poised at 6-6.
$200,000 awaits the winner
A total of 28 points are available in each Grand Finale semifinal. A player needs 15 points to qualify for the final.
The winner of the tournament will receive $200,000, while the runner-up will earn $125,000. The third-place finisher will take home $75,000 and the fourth-placed player $50,000.
The top three finishers will also receive direct invitations to next year’s Grand Chess Tour.
Round 2 classical results:
- R Praggnanandhaa (India) 9-3 Vincent Keymer (Germany)
- Fabiano Caruana (USA) 6-6 Wesley So (USA)
