Magnus Carlsen drew with the white pieces today with R Praggnanandhaa in their second game of the finals. With both games ending in a draw, the decision of who will be the World Cup winner will be made in the tiebreaks on Thursday.

The game between Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa lasted just 30 moves and was over in slightly more than an hour. Neither side managed to get a slight advantage in the Four Knights Game. The game progressed quickly – by move ten both sides exchanged two pairs of minor pieces and the queens. The two then proceeded to exchange the other heavy pieces and finished in an endgame with same-colour bishops and a symmetrical pawn structure.

It seems that the Norwegian has still not fully recovered from the food poisoning he experienced a few days back, which has impacted his willingness to play. Everything now depends on the tiebreaks on Thursday.

The day will begin with a two-game rapid match, a format in which Carlsen, as the reigning World Rapid Champion, is seen as the favourite. However, his ability to regain strength and focus remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa, who recently turned 18, has displayed remarkable skills and confidence, unsettling many top-world players despite his young age.

In the match for third place, Fabiano Caruana staged a comeback, defeating Nijat Abasov with white pieces in a hard-fought game where the American had more initiative throughout but had to fight hard to win.

The two ventured into a sharp line of the Sicilian with a lot of tactical obstacles to solve. After Black (Abasov) misplayed on move 11, White’s initiative grew considerably. By move 14, White was already significantly better. Abasov kept on resisting. He gave up a rook for a knight and a pawn. By move 31, the two finally ventured into an endgame where White had two rooks against a rook and a bishop, with three pawns each on the Kingside. White was better but had to prove it by finding a way to victory, which Caruana managed to do after nearly four and a half hours of play.

With a victory each, Caruana and Abasov need to rest well for tomorrow, as everything will be decided in the tiebreaks. The tiebreaks will take place on Thursday, 24th August from 2 PM local time in Baku.

Game 2 of the FIDE World Cup Finals ends in a draw

Magnus Carlsen made a very solid draw against Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa with the White pieces. Pragg did not face any troubles with Black – the players agreed to a draw after 30 moves of play in an equal Bishop ending.

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— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) August 23, 2023

The R Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen, Chess World Cup Final tiebreak will be played on Thursday, August 24.

Where will the R Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen, Chess World Cup Final tiebreak be played?

The R Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen, Chess World Cup Final tiebreak will be played in Baku, Azerbaijan.

What time will the R Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen, Chess World Cup Final tiebreak start?

The R Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen, Chess World Cup Final tiebreak will start at 4:30 PM IST.

Which TV channels will broadcast the R Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen, Chess World Cup Final tiebreak?

The R Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen, Chess World Cup Final tiebreak will not be broadcast on TV.

How can I watch the live streaming of R Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen, Chess World Cup Final tiebreak?

The R Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen, Chess World Cup Final tiebreak will be streamed live on Fide Chess’ YouTube and Twitch channels.