Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa Leads Prague Masters with Career-High World Ranking

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa continues to shine at the Prague Masters, currently tied at the top spot with fellow Indian Aravindh Chithambaram. With a career-high world ranking of No.8, Praggnanandhaa will face off against American Sam Shankland in the sixth round after a rest day on Tuesday.

Aravindh, who has surprised many with his stellar performance in the tournament, expressed his disbelief at his success so far. Having beaten the top seed Wei Yi of China, Aravindh will now have to face the experienced Quang Leim Le of Vietnam in the upcoming round.

Praggnanandhaa, on the other hand, has showcased exceptional skills in his victories against Keymer and Nguyen Thai Dai Van. Known for his superior calculation abilities, Praggnanandhaa will need to rely on them as he takes on Shankland, who is also a formidable opponent.

The tournament has seen some intense competition, with players like Wei Yi making a strong comeback after initial losses. Anish Giri and Quang Leim have drawn all their games so far, while Vincent Keymer has had a mixed performance with two losses and two wins.

In the Challengers section, the lone Indian participant, Divya Deshmukh, will look to gain important rating points in the remaining rounds to boost her confidence after losses in the Tata Steel tournament.

With exciting matchups lined up in the upcoming rounds, including Praggnanandhaa facing off against Quang Leim and Wei Yi, and Aravindh taking on Giri and Navara, the competition at the Prague Masters is heating up. Fans can expect some thrilling games as the tournament progresses.