Chessable Masters final: Indian GM Praggnanandhaa loses to Ding Liren in tie-break
Chennai(PTI): Young Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa went down fighting to world No.2 Ding Liren in the tie-break of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Chessable Masters 2022 online tournament final early on Friday.
The 16-year-old from Chennai fought back to win the second set after having lost the opener. But then lost the two-game blitz tie-breaker.
The Indian GM, who had lost the first set 1.5-2.5, hit back to win the second 2.5-1.5 and force the blitz tie-break.
The 29-year old Liren used his experience to trump Praggnanandhaa in the second of the tie-break games. After the first blitz game ended in stalemate, the Chinese player won the next in 49 moves to dash the Indian teenager's hopes.
Earlier in the second set which he needed to win to force a tie-break, Praggnanandhaa got the all-important victory in the second game in 79 moves.
The next game saw the two dish out a 106-move draw before another stalemate meant the title would be decided by the tie-breaker.
After the final, the Indian prodigy's coach R B Ramesh praised his ward's efforts and wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations Ding for beating both Pragg AND the mosquitoes! Proud of you @rpragchess, showed good nerves and character overall in tough situations."
The Indian GM had defeated the highly-rated Dutchman Anish Giri in the semifinal to become the first Indian player to reach the final of a Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event.
He had beaten world No.1 Magnus Carlsen for a second time during the preliminary phase in which he finished fourth and got past Wei Yi of China in the quarterfinals.
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Injured BJP MPs better, under observation in ICU: RML
New Delhi (PTI): The health condition of two BJP MPs, who suffered head injuries in a face-off between opposition and NDA members in Parliament premises, is much better now and they remain under observation in the ICU of the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here, authorities said on Friday.
Pratap Sarangi (69) from Odisha and Mukesh Rajput (56) from Uttar Pradesh were brought to the hospital from Parliament with head injuries on Thursday.
"Their health condition is much better now and their blood pressure levels are also under control," RML Hospital's Medical Superintendent Dr Ajay Shukla said on Friday.
"Mukesh Rajput still has little giddiness and heaviness in head. Also Sarangi has an old heart problem. He already had a stent in his heart. They are being kept under observation in the ICU and their condition is being monitored. Treating doctors will decide further course of treatment and on when to shift them to a ward," Dr Shukla said.
Nothing significant regarding the injury has come up in the MRI and CT scans, he said.
According to Dr Shukla, Sarangi was bleeding profusely when he was brought in. "He had a deep cut on his forehead and it had to be stitched," he said.
"Rajput also had a head injury immediately after which he lost consciousness. However, the MP was in his senses when he was brought to the hospital. His blood pressure levels had also shot up. It has been brought under control," Dr Shukla had said on Thursday.
A face-off between the opposition and NDA MPs in Parliament premises over the alleged insult to B R Ambedkar left Sarangi injured. The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing the senior member, a charge rejected by the Congress leader.
Trouble began when the INDIA bloc members insisted on entering Parliament through the BJP MPs holding a protest instead of using the space left empty on one side of the staircase of the Makar Dwar, used by members to enter and exit the building.Rajput was also injured in the melee.
