Chess Controversy! Praggnanandhaa stops clock; draw call sparks uproar - Watch
A controversial moment dominated Day 2 of the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid in Kolkata when R Praggnanandhaa stopped the clock with one second left, leading to a disputed draw against Wesley So. Arbiter Chris Bird said it should have been a loss under chess laws. Elsewhere, Viswanathan Anand rebounded to joint lead with Nihal Sarin, while Kateryna Lagno topped the women’s standings.
R Praggnanandhaa stops clock, sparks controversy (Screengrab)
NEW DELHI: A moment of high drama and confusion stole the spotlight on Day 2 of the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid in Kolkata, triggering debate across the chess world. The incident happened during Round 6 when R Praggnanandhaa stopped the clock with just one second remaining, leading to a dramatic and debated draw against Wesley So.The situation arose when Praggnanandhaa advanced a pawn close to promotion but realised there was not enough time to complete the move and replace the pawn with a queen.
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With the clock about to run out, he stopped the timer and sought help. Commentators watching the game believed So would be awarded the win on time, but after discussion, the arbiters ruled the game a draw.Well-known chess arbiter Chris Bird strongly criticised the ruling. "Should have been ruled a loss. "6.11.2 A player may pause the chessclock only in order to seek the arbiter’s assistance, for example when promotion has taken place and the piece required is not available." No promotion actually took place so this is not relevant here," Bird wrote on X, questioning the officials’ interpretation.
Away from the debate, the tournament itself delivered high-quality chess. Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand showed his experience and fighting spirit to bounce back after an early loss.
In Round 4, Anand looked in control before a rook blunder allowed Arjun Erigaisi to turn the game around. However, Anand responded strongly, beating Hans Niemann and Volodar Murzin to move into joint lead with Nihal Sarin on 4.5 points.Nihal enjoyed an excellent run, having three games in a row. He took advantage of mistakes by Niemann and Murzin before showing strong endgame skills to defeat Vidit Gujrathi.In the women’s section, Kateryna Lagno topped the standings with 4.5 points after six rounds. Among the Indian players, Vantika Agrawal stood fifth with three points, while Harika Dronavalli, R Vaishali and Rakshitta Ravi remained in contention.