The Curious Connection: David Nalbandian and the Young Chess Prodigy

Who would have said that David Nalbandian could be bound for life with a young world chess prodigy? Who would have said that Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa could achieve the same thing that the man from Cordoba did on a tennis court tennis, but on a board of black and white squares? The life have this things. Twisted, yes, but curious nonetheless.

In October 2007, Nalbandian established himself Madrid Masters 1000 champion when he was 25th in the world ranking. It was the sixth title of his career. But he remained in history forever for being the only time a player defeated Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the same championship, who occupied the top three positions in the ranking. King David killed the three Marías of world tennis in Spain. The Holy Trinity. unmatched.

Well then, Pragg, as everyone in the chess world calls him, could match what Nalbandian did this Wednesday. The beloved son of the Indian school that he had Viswanathan Anand as world champion is facing the great chance to deliver a historic coup.

It is that in the World Cup that takes place in Baku he has already eliminated Hikaru Nakamura already Fabiano Caruanaand now he is playing the final against Magnus Carlsen. If he established himself in the capital of Azerbaijan, he would do so with victories over the top three in the ranking. Like Nalbandian in Madrid.

That this journalistic game is a bit far-fetched? Numbers are numbers and there is no your aunt there. No discipline is comparable, but it is rare to find protagonists who take down the top three and lift the trophy. So the game continues, but with more details.

Nalbandian, for history

David Nalbandian beat Roger Federer in the 2007 Madrid Masters 1000 final after beating Nadal and Djokovic. AP Photo

Nalbandian arrived in Madrid towards the end of a 2007 in which he had not achieved great achievements, taking into account his remarkable quality. He had not been able to reach a semifinal, he had only made the quarterfinals in Barcelona, ​​while he was eliminated in the round of 16 in the australian open, Roland Garros and at the Indian Wells and Montreal Masters 1000.

I couldn’t beat a top ten: the croatian Ivan Ljubicic (8th) beat him in Indian Wells, the Russian Nikolay Davydenko (4th) at Roland Garros and the Serbian Djokovic (4th) in Montreal. But from a talented you can expect the unpredictable. And Nalbandian did it.

The week from October 15 to 21, 2007 went down in tennis history. After dispatching the French in three sets Arnaud Clement (40°) and Czech Tomas Berdych (11°), and in two to Juan Martin del Potro (53 °), the feat would come. In the quarterfinals he swept Spanish Nadal (2nd) 6-1 and 6-2, in the semis he did the same with Djokovic (3rd) 6-4 and 7-6 (7-4) and in the final He turned the match against the Swiss Federer (1st) for 1-6, 6-3 and 6-3. Quite a feat for books and bronze.

Pragg’s Dream

Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen play the final of the Chess World Cup. @chesscom_pt

Sixteen years later, Praggnanandhaa wants to imitate him on the board in Baku. The Indian is the 29th in the world ranking from FIDE, with an ELO of 2707. He is already 23rd in the live ranking with 2735. Clearly, that rise had to do with his performance in the World Cup.

In this direct elimination tournament, two players play two games with their colors changed at a planned pace: 90 minutes for 40 moves and another half hour until the end, always with an increase of 30 seconds per move.

If there is no definition, another day tiebreakers of two games are played at increasingly faster rates: first at 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move, then at 10 plus 10 and then at 5 plus 3. If the parity continues, unique games arrive to 3 plus 2 until there is a winner. And the 18-year-old broke through in a big way.

In the debut he won the first game with black to the French Maxime Lagarde (2599) and the passage was secured with a white draw in the second. to czech David Navara (2695; 42nd in the world) beat him with white in the first and drew as black in the second. Then came the duel against the American Hikaru Nakamura (2787), number two in the ranking. There was equality in the games at a planned pace, but Pragg He was a whirlwind in 25 minutes plus 10 seconds and he beat him in both.

Already in the round of 16, the Indian equaled the first black game against the Hungarian Ferenc Berkes (2615) and beat him in the rematch with the white pieces. A duel with his compatriot Arjun Erigaisi (2704; 32nd in the world) came in quarterfinals and was the most extensive who has played Pragg in the World Cup: it was defined by 5 to 4. Each one won a planned game, they started the next two at 25 plus 10 and then the young man was twice match point in those of 10 plus 10 and in those of 5 plus 3. But his rival recovered. Until in the ninth Pragg won white at blitz rate of 3 plus 2.

Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen play the final of the Chess World Cup. @FIDE_chess

Semifinal time. Opposite the prodigy sat Italian-American Fabiano Caruana (2782), world number three and challenger to Magnus Carlsen in the match for the title played in 2018 in London. They repeated the tables in the four initial games and Pragg He was only able to take advantage with White in the fifth, at a rate of 10 plus 10. The Indian defended equality in the sixth and qualified for the 2024 Candidates Tournament.

“I didn’t expect to play Magnus in this tournament because the only way to face him was in the final,” said the Indian with a smile. His tranquility when speaking is transmitted when defending himself on the board. He showed it against the beast Carlsen (2835), who always respected him as a strong rival, in the first duel of the final, which ended in a draw on Tuesday.

On Wednesday there will be a rematch and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa will go for the feat. And if not, there will be tiebreakers on Thursday. Time to wait if David Nalbandian can be linked for life with a young world chess prodigy.

HS

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2023-08-22 21:34:57
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