Continuing his splendid run, R. Praggnanandhaa pressured a psychologically-important draw with black items in 78 strikes in opposition to World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana within the first recreation of their semifinal conflict within the FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday.

Much earlier than Caruana and Praggnanandhaa ended their 78-move tester with solely the kings on the board, Magnus Carlsen escaped some critical hassle after native hope Nijat Abasov missed a profitable continuation on the thirty fourth flip, Eventually, the highest seed gained in 43 strikes to take a 1-0 lead.

Praggnanandhaa, regardless of taking part in with a pawn much less after the forty first transfer, was equal to the problem. Caruana examined Praggnanandhaa’s understanding of the place which was a theoretical draw. The younger Indian performed precisely when the gamers had a rook every however Caruana banking on his lone pawn. The change of rooks hastened the tip with Caruana letting Praggnanandhaa take the final pawn, too.

The gamers conflict once more on Sunday within the classical time-control with Praggnanandhaa taking part in with white items.

In the ladies’s remaining, second seeded Russian Aleksandra Goryachkina and Bulgarian Nurgyul Salimova drew in 33 strikes after a three-fold repetition of the place.

For the third place, Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk led China’s Tan Zhongyi following a 52-move win.