Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen applauded Indian prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnandhaa after their highly awaited eighth-round match in the Julius Baer Generation Cup 2022 ended in a stalemate. Following the conclusion of the game, the Norwegian was seeing clapping and doing a ‘thumbs up’ gesture.
When Praggnanandhaa was asked about Carlsen’s gesture, he stated he had noticed it during the match, but later saw the video. “I didn’t see it then. I just checked it now. I didn’t know (then). It was a great fight, I think,” he told Chess24.com.
Speaking on the draw against Carlsen, he said “He had already played this line against Arjun in the first game. I was checking it this morning. The set five is already completely crushing for white; so I am upset that I couldn’t finish him off then.”
At the time of writing, Praggnandhaa was placed third in the tournament standings, with 18 points. Carlsen was topping the charts with 22 points, while Arjun Erigaisi was in second place with 21 points.
The Julius Baer Generation Cup is the seventh leg of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. Prior to this draw, the 17-year-old from Chennai had beaten the Norwegian twice in online matches.
Carlsen Sparks Speculation After Surprise Resignation
Though he garnered praise for his gesture in the match against Praggnanandhaa, Carlsen was not as cordial in his match against United States of America’s Hans Niemann. He resigned from the game on the second move, leaving the chess fraternity stupefied.
However, many have claimed Carlsen’s decision to be a sign of extended protest. Incidentally, he lost against Hans Niemann recently in the Sinquefield Cup, though there were allegations of cheating against the American. While Carlsen himself did not come up with any direct allegations, his antics did spark speculation.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)