PRAGUE: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa cruised to a smooth victory against Nguyen Thai Dai Van of Czech Republic in the third round of the Prague Masters on Friday.
It was a swift victory for Praggnanandhaa who has been tipped the favourite to win this tournament.
It was a Nimzo Indian defense and in Praggnanandhaa words "just a position to play”.
The middle game surfaced with Dai Van being on the defensive despite his extra pawn typical of the structure and the Indian crossed the complexities at ease.
The decisive moment came on the 14th move itself when Praggnanandhaa got an undeniable advantage and after that the game took a few twists but the result was never in doubt.
Having played two draws in the first two rounds, it was an essential victory for Praggnanandhaa and he achieved the final result in style.
As it happened in the game, the Indian won a rook for a minor piece and when it comes to technicalities, no one can doubt the acumen of Praggnanandhaa.
“Yesterday was nothing in the first round I had a good position," Praggnanandhaa said, reflecting on his performance thus far.