Praggnanandhaa and Divya Notched Second Successive Wins in WYCC

Mumbai: Indian prodigies Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa R and woman international master Divya Deshmukh notched up their second straight victories as round 2 of the World Youth Chess Championship (WYCC) concluded on Thursday morning without any major upsets. Chennai's Praggnanandhaa got the better of Poland's Antoni Kozak in the Open U18 while Nagpur's Diya routed Bhagyashree Patil in the Girls U14 to underline their form and preparedness for the 11-round mega event, India's biggest chess tournament in recent times. Fourteen-year-old Praggnanandhaa was among 12 players, including four other Indians, to maintain a clean slate and pick up the maximum possible 2 points so far. The country's second youngest Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa, playing white, opened with the King's Indian. On move 17, he sacrificed his Rook for a Knight as he put pressure on Antoni's king. The Pole soon returned the sacrifice, hoping to get away unscathed. But Praggnanandhaa was meticulous in his play and swiftly marched towards victory. IANS

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