PTI
Prague
Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa cruised to a smooth victory against
Nguyen Thai Dai Van of Czech Republic, while Aravindh Chithambaram emerged as the sole leader, defeating top seed Wei Yi of China in the third round of the Prague Masters.
It was a swift and commanding victory for Praggnanandhaa, widely regarded as the biggest favourite to win this tournament. It was a
Nimzo-Indian defense and in Praggnanandhaa’s words it was “just a position to play”.
The middle game surfaced with Dai Van being on the defensive despite his extra pawn, a typical feature of the structure and the Indian navigated the complexities with ease.
The decisive moment came on the 14th move itself when Praggnanandhaa got an undeniable
advantage and after that though the game took a few twists but the result was never in doubt.
Having played two draws in the first two
rounds, it was an essential victory for Praggnanandhaa and he achieved the final result in style.
