Is he the greatest ever now? | Credits: Maria Emelianova
What an event we just had!
Magnus Carlsen won the FIDE World Cup 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan, adding a major missing trophy to his cabinet.
Now he has it all – World Champion in Classical, Blitz and Rapid format. World no.1 spot. And now the World Cup!
And we have Praggnanandhaa, who finished as the runner-up and secured a spot to the Candidates. He won our hearts with his excellent performance.
But behind the FIDE World Cup 2023, there are a lot of stories that need to be heard too – from epic comebacks, underdogs braving the odds to excellent sportsmanship and even love.
Each of these stories are packed with valuable chess and life lessons. Let’s see them, one by one.
Prag shines, just like Mission Chandrayaan
Praggnanandhaa took down World no.3 Fabiano Caruana and also World No.2 Hikaru Nakamura, two of the best players in the world.
With these victories, it has become evidently clear that Pragg is definitely the player to watch out for in the future. He has the game, preparation and most importantly the mindset to beat the best.
The boy who won our hearts and a Candidate spot | Credits: Maria Emelianova
Even Magnus couldn’t beat him in the Classical section of the finals.
At the same time, India achieved another major milestone.
On 23 August 2023, our nation’s dream of landing on moon with Mission Chandrayaan 3 also came true. What a moment!
Did you get goosebumps when Chaandrayan 3 and Prag appeared on the 1st page of all the major newspapers in the country?
Even Magnus couldn’t beat him in the Classical section of the finals.
At the same time, India achieved another major milestone.
On 23 August 2023, our nation’s dream of landing on moon with Mission Chandrayaan 3 also came true. What a moment!
Did you get goosebumps when Chaandrayan 3 and Prag appeared on the 1st page of all the major newspapers in the country?
The local hero Nijat Abasov
The host nation, Azerbaijan, is a strong chess country. They have some of the world’s top players in Mamedyarov and Radjabov who were participating in the event.
However nobody would’ve imagined at the start what was about to happen. Mamedyarov was knocked out in the 1st round. Radjabov bowed out soon too.
All hopes were on the only remaining Azeri player – Nijat Abasov. And he rose up to the occasion.
Nijat Abasov(white shirt, speaking in the mic) and happy locals! | Credits: FIDE
With his exceptional performance, he beat some of the top chess players like Anish Giri, Vidit Gujrathi and almost qualifying for the Candidates before being stopped by none other than Magnus Carlsen in semi-finals.
In fact, Nijat even had a winning chance against Magnus though he failed to capitalize it.
Nevertheless, he gave the crowd what they desperately wanted – a hero to root for!
Salimova Nurgyul: So close, yet so far
Being seeded No.29, far from the top 10, nobody would’ve given IM Nurgyul Salimova a chance to reach the final.
Yet she proved everyone wrong with her phenomenal performace and booked a berth in the finals against her favorite women’s player of the current time – GM Goryachkina.
In the final, Salimova had a clear winning position in 3 games (not 1,2 but 3!). That victory would mean she would not only win the Women’s Chess World Cup 2023 but also directly get the Grandmaster title without having to do all the norms..
Alas, history wasn’t going to be written that way. She came close, yet was a little far from putting her hands on the World Cup.
Nevertheless, her story shows that a low starting rank doesn’t mean you can’t win a tournament. With grit and determination, the impossible becomes possible!
Goryachkina: The cold-blooded fighter
GM Aleksandra Goryachkina was hopelessly lost in 3 positions in the final vs Salimova. Once in the Classical format. Twice in the Rapid tiebreak.
And yet, she survived all those 3 times. Some may call it luck. However she deserves full credit for fighting out in those 3 positions without losing heart.
Goryachkina (left) after winning the decisive game
Then in the final game, she got a slight chance to win. Sensing her opportunity, Goryachkina patiently tested her opponent who had to defend a tough position in very little time.
Goryachkina won the game, and with that the Woman’s Chess World Cup 2023!
There’s a lot to learn from the way Goryachkina handled the pressure and saved all those games. Just look at her celebration after she won the final game and had become the champion. No emotions on her face. Stone-cold.
Rivals on the board, friends off the board
In the quarters, you’ll notice there were 2 Indians facing off against each other – Praggnanandhaa vs Arjun Erigaisi.
On the board, they both did their best to defeat the other. But the astonishing part happened off the chessboard. It’s a life lesson for all players, especially the youngsters.
A day before their World Cup matchup, Irene Sukander, the commentator at the event, shared this picture on Twitter.
Irene Sukander with Prag and Arjun a day before their match
Then on day 1, game 1 – Arjun won. Yet, they still continued their evening walk that day!
Still continuing with the evening walk…
On day 2, game 2 – Prag won. And they still went out for their evening walk!
After both games had ended in a draw
It shows that you can play hard and do your best to defeat your opponent on the chessboard. At the same time, you can continue to be great friends off the board – true champion stuff!
A Mother’s love
Praggnanandhaa’s mom was with him at every game in the World Cup. And her support played an important role.
And after GM Praggnanandhaa used to win, you could see the joy in his mother’s smile. There was a sparkle in her eyes, a glow on her face.
It’s a moment every mom dreams of – to see their child winning, to see them doing big things, to feel proud. And no better stage than the World Cup of chess to experience it all.
The smile says it all | Credits: Maria Emelianova
This World Cup offered so much to learn and experience.
What was your favorite story of the World Cup? Were there any others you felt should’ve been on this list? Share with us in our community group. We’re looking forward to them!
