In his first tournament since becoming the youngest Indian Grandmaster in history and the second youngest overall, R Praggnanandhaa put up an impressive performance against veteran Wesley So in the first semifinal of the 2018 Leon Masters.
The 12-year-old Indian came close to beating the defending champion at the tournament in Spain, but So emerged on top in the end on Friday.
Praggnanandhaa beat So, the World rapid No. 2, in the first of the four rapid chess matches with black pieces. It was his first match since becoming a Grandmaster.
So bounced back in the next game to level the four-game round. In the third game, the Indian pulled back with a draw, but went on to lose the last game in the Spanish city.
However, the young Indian gave a good account of himself, weeks after achieving his Grandmaster norm. In 2016, Praggnanandhaa became the youngest International Master at 10 years, 10 months, and 19 days.
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