Anand Praises Pranav Venkatesh's World Cup Effort, Analyzes Turning Point in Defeat

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{ "title": "Anand Praises Pranav Venkatesh's World Cup Effort, Analyzes Turning Point in Defeat", "article": "Indian chess prodigy Pranav Venkatesh's impressive run in the Chess World Cup 2025 came to an end in the fourth round, as he lost to Uzbekistan's GM Nodirbek Yakubboev. The 19-year-old junior world champion faced pressure from the start and ultimately succumbed to defeat in 38 moves. A critical mistake on move 26, where Pranav miscalculated with his queen, marked the beginning of the end. Things took a turn for the worse on move 30, followed by a blunder with his knight on move 35. In a difficult decision, Pranav resigned after three moves. Despite the heartbreaking loss, this experience will serve as a valuable learning opportunity for the young chess talent. Viswanathan Anand, a chess legend, acknowledged Pranav's remarkable performance in the tournament. Anand praised Pranav's decision to decline a possible repetition and push for an extra pawn, even though it ultimately led to defeat. Anand expressed pride in their partnership at WACA (@WacaChess) and congratulated Yakubboev on advancing to the next round. Pranav's journey in the World Cup began with a convincing 2-0 win over Algeria's Eddine Ala Boulrens, followed by victories over Norwegian GM Aryan Tari and Lithuanian GM Titas Stremavicius. However, controversy arose in the third round when Pranav failed to record a few moves on his score sheet, prompting an official complaint from his opponent. After a warning from the arbiters, Pranav emerged victorious in the game but drew the next. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to tournament rules."