Chess World Cup: R Praggnanandhaa draws Fabiano Caruana in first game of semi-finals

India's R Praggnanandhaa held fancied Fabiano Caruana to a draw in the first game of the semi-finals of the FIDE Chess World Cup on Saturday.The 18-year old Praggnanandhaa waged a gritty battle against the American to share the honours in 78 moves.Having drawn Saturday's encounter with black pieces, the Indian GM now has the advantage of playing with whites on Sunday.Meanwhile, World No 1 Magnus Carlsen took a big step towards the final by beating local favourite Nijat Abasov in Game 1 of the two-game classical series.By becoming only the second Indian after legendary Vishwanathan Anand to reach the semi-finals of the Chess World Cup, Praggnanandhaa booked a spot in the Candidates event in 2024 to determine the challenger to Ding Liren. However, that is subject to Carlsen officially withdrawing from the Candidates tournament.