Bengaluru: Spherical 6, Tata Metal Chess India blitz, 2018. A 13-year-old Praggnanandhaa sat throughout five-time world champion 48-year-old Viswanathan Anand. It was the primary time they met over the board in a match and this battle of generations is well one of many most-watched chess clips on YouTube.
At 12 years, 10 months and 13 days, Praggnanandhaa had turn into the second-youngest GM that 12 months after Sergey Karjakin. By the point the Tata Metal match befell in Kolkata, Praggnanandhaa had slipped to third-youngest. Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov snuck into second spot. Apparently, Praggnanandhaa’s first win in Kolkata got here in opposition to Karjakin.
Again then, although simply 13, Praggnanandhaa put up a gutsy play with White. Anand managed to douse any menace and went on to defeat Hikaru Nakamura within the playoff to win the Tata Metal blitz title. This was lower than a 12 months after Anand had gained the world speedy title. Anand was an lively participant then and India had round 54 GMs. Right this moment, Anand is semi-retired, mentors the likes of Praggnananadhaa and Gukesh and India’s rely of GMs at this time stands at 85.
On Tuesday for the primary time since 2018, Praggnanandhaa and Anand performed over the board on the WR Masters quarter-finals in London. It was additionally their first classical face-off. Each classical video games between them resulted in attracts. Anand had his possibilities with Black within the first however the 19-year-old managed to fend off the menace. Within the second, it was Anand who put up a defence and all of it got here right down to the Armageddon.
Praggnanandhaa had 10 minutes and a must-win state of affairs. Anand had the Black items, little over 6 minutes on the clock and wanted solely a draw to achieve the semi-final. Praggnanandhaa performed the Scotch opening, which pulls its identify from a correspondence recreation performed between Edinburgh and London in 1824. This opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6) isn’t precisely the preferred and Praggnanandhaa’s concept was to pose issues instantly for Anand who had much less time on his clock to start with. It was additionally 12 hours after that they had began out their first classical recreation.
Praggnanandhaa shortly managed to get right into a place of dominance along with his rook properly positioned on the open b-file and a dream diagonal at his disposal for his dark-squared bishop with the opportunity of making issues hellish for White’s King. Anand had little counterplay on his fingers and Praggnanandhaa threatened a test with 22. Qc3. His rook on the h-file had wolfed up black’s pawn, a potential Rh7 test loomed and Black was out of concepts and assets to defend.
In six years, Indian chess has seen a sea change. There are two Indians – Arjun Erigaisi and Gukesh within the prime 5 at this time. Anand, now a deputy president at Fide, performs solely a few tournaments in a 12 months however remains to be ranked world No. 11 (2751). Praggnanandhaa is No. 12 (2746). Final month, India swept the open and ladies’s Olympiad gold in historic style and in November for the primary time an Indian not named Anand will play the World Championship.
After a protracted day and 26 strikes within the Armageddon, Anand prolonged his hand to Praggnanandhaa in resignation and smiled. The solo revolution he kickstarted 4 many years in the past has now grown into a robust, fearless military, taking up the world. His defeat as a participant to one among them is a victory of his legacy.
