You are carrying hopes and dreams of the nation, AICF chief Sanjay Kapoor tells chess wiz Praggnanandhaa

Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) The All-India Chess Federation (AICF) president Dr. Sanjay Kapoor has spoken to Ramessbabu Praggnanandhaa ahead of his FIDE World Cup 2023 final clash with World No.1 Magnus Carlsen in Baku and conveyed to him that he not only carries into the final his exceptional skills but also the hopes and aspirations of hopes and dreams of an entire nation.

The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa defeated American World No.3 Fabiano Caruana in tie-breaks in the semifinal to set up a summit clash with the five-time World Champion from Norway.

Kapoor had a telephonic conversation with Praggnanandhaa on Tuesday in which he congratulated him on his victory against Caruana and wished luck to India's prodigious talent for his clash with Carlsen. 

"I had the privilege of speaking to Praggnanandhaa and conveyed to him the immense pride that the entire nation feels for his remarkable achievement. Our hearts are filled with hope and anticipation for his performance in the finals," Kapoor informed in a statement on Tuesday.

During the conversation, Pragg, as he is fondly called, inquired whether the AICF president will be in Baku on Wednesday for his summit clash with Carlsen, Kapoor told him that he will enthusiastically stand by his side.

"Standing by his side, I will embody the aspirations of the entire nation as we collectively support him in his journey. Our unwavering belief in his abilities and the full weight of our support are behind him, propelling him forward with great confidence," said Kapoor, who also conveyed to Pragg the immense pride that the entire nation feels for his remarkable achievement. 

"Our hearts are filled with hope and anticipation for his performance in the finals," he said.

"As Praggnanandhaa faces the challenges of the finals, let us remember that he carries not only his exceptional skills but also the hopes and dreams of an entire nation. We stand united, confident in his abilities, and eagerly await his triumph," said Kapoor.

Praggnandhaa has defeated the 32-year-old Carlsen on a few occasions but in rapid chess. He beat the Norwegian legend twice -- once in the Airthings Masters in February and the second time in the Chessable Masters -- both online rapid chess tournaments. He also defeated once in rapid and twice in blitz games last year in the FTX Crypto Cup.

In the World Cup final, the two players will play two classical games on successive days (each game will have 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move from move one).

In case they remain in a stalemate, they will play two rapid tie-break games on Thursday followed by two blitz games. 

If he wins the title, Praggnanandhaa will become the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the FIDE World Cup. Anand won the title in 2000 and 2002.