Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa strengthened his chances of reaching the Grand Chess Tour final with a hard-fought victory over Vincent Keymer, moving 9-3 ahead in the semifinal.
The game saw several dramatic swings, with Keymer initially taking control and creating attacking chances against Praggnanandhaa’s king. But the German later fell into a tactical sequence that cost him a rook for a knight.
Praggnanandhaa then converted his advantage with precision, despite both players facing severe time pressure. Keymer finally resigned on the 55th move as the Indian was threatening to deliver checkmate.
With only six points separating Praggnanandhaa from a finals berth, the Indian is now firmly in control of the match. The remaining contest includes two rapid games and four blitz games.
Elsewhere, Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So played out a 50-move draw. Caruana had built a winning position from the opening, but Wesley fought back brilliantly to secure a draw.
