Pragg living life on the edge
27 out of 64 matches in round two of the 2025 Chess World Cup made it to tiebreaks. The highest seed to require extra games was #3 Praggnanandhaa, against Temur Kuybokarov, rated 2535 and seeded 131st. They played two pretty stable classical draws to lead them into tiebreaks, where the roller coaster began.
The first rapid game continued the pattern of stability, but the second game was a massive scare for Pragg. He had made an early mistake, and then another, and found himself down a piece with a losing position, on the brink of elimination.
Playing White, Pragg was making his best effort with checks, and it fell to Kuybokarov to decide how to escape and seal the win. Alas, he chose wrong: 38. …Nf7?? 39. Qg3+! started an unavoidable perpetual check, 39. …Kf8 40. Qb8+ Kg7 41. Qg3+ and a draw moments later. 39. …Kh8?? instead would have lost to 40. Ne7! with mate threats for White.
Black should have blocked with 38. …Nd7! (D).
It may have felt more loose, but importantly after 39. Qg3+ Kf8, there is no follow-up check on b8. Black would have other moves too, but for example 40. Qd6+ Kxg8 41. Qxe6+ Qf7 (D), the consolidation is complete and Black should win steadily.
The pair proceeded to the second set of rapid tiebreaks, and again Pragg was the first to blunder. Kuybokarov won with Black, putting Pragg in a must-win scenario in game two. Sure enough, he pulled it off.
Pragg had taken control early, as Black, but it had slipped back close to equal in the above position, if White finds 31. Qc7 Rb7 32. Nd5!! to rescue the queen. But White played 31. Qf6?? and immediately resigned after 31. …Nf3+. Off to blitz they went.
The first game was tense, but eventually Pragg flexed his upper-2700 skill. The second game tasked Kuybokarov with matching Pragg and winning on demand. He almost did.
White wins by overwhelming the c7-pawn, for example 37. b6 cxb6 38. Rc1! and c7-c8. Tragically, White made three straight blunders, and had to resign after the sequence 37. Rd7?? Kf7 38. Bxe7? Rxe7 39. Re1?? Rxd7 40. cxd7 Rxh4+! (D) 41. Kg2 Rd4 0-1.
Thus, Pragg won the match 5-3, and his tournament, improbably, continues. Follow along on Lichess.
Photo by Eteri Kublashvili
