Praggnanandhaa Shines with Stunning Victory Over Anish Giri in Candidates 2026 Opener

Praggnanandhaa Shines in Candidates Tournament Opener with Stunning Victory Over Giri

NAGPUR: In a remarkable display of skill and precision, 18-year-old chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu kicked off his second Candidates Tournament appearance with a stunning victory over seasoned Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri in Cyprus on Sunday. Playing at an astonishing accuracy level of 99% for nearly five hours, Praggnanandhaa showcased his tactical prowess in a gripping 51-move contest that lasted 5 hours and 20 minutes.

Opting for the Grand Prix variation of the Closed Sicilian defense, Praggnanandhaa capitalized on two minor errors from Giri, ultimately forcing the higher-ranked player to resign. With an Elo rating of 2741, Praggnanandhaa’s performance was nothing short of exceptional, as he maintained an impressive accuracy level of 97.3% throughout the match.

The turning point came on the 29th move when Praggnanandhaa executed a brilliant rook placement, simultaneously fortifying his king with a bishop. Chess legend Viswanathan Anand hailed the move as “genius” during his analysis, noting how it solidified Praggnanandhaa’s grip on the game.

In addition to Praggnanandhaa’s triumph, the opening round of the Candidates Tournament saw other noteworthy performances. Divya Deshmukh and Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, both making their Candidates debuts, delivered commendable results. Sindarov outmaneuvered Russia’s Andrey Esipenko in a wild time scramble, while Divya held her ground against Ukraine’s seasoned player Anna Muzychuk, resulting in a hard-fought draw.

Divya, rated at 2497 Elo, opted for the Scotch opening, gaining an early advantage on the clock. However, a critical 20th-move error allowed Muzychuk to equalize. Despite the setback, Divya managed to navigate the complexities of the game, ultimately deciding to split the points after realizing her winning chances had slipped away.

“I am satisfied with the result because I didn’t have chances for more and it could be worse,” Muzychuk remarked after the match.

Meanwhile, Vaishali Rameshbabu, the lowest-ranked participant in the tournament, faced a daunting challenge against Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva, a three-time women’s world blitz champion. After a tense battle, Vaishali capitalized on a mistake from Bibisara on the 29th move, salvaging a draw in 40 moves.

The opening round also featured a tightly contested match between Chinese players Zhu Jiner and Tan Zhongyi, which ended in a draw after 41 moves. In a marathon encounter, Russian players Aleksandra Goryachkina and Kateryna Lagno battled for 73 moves before also settling for a draw.

The first result of the tournament came when Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum, despite having a time advantage, failed to capitalize against China’s Wei Yi, leading to a 26-move draw.

As the Candidates Tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on Praggnanandhaa as he aims to build on this impressive start and make his mark on the global chess stage.