Reflecting on his victory, Aravindh admitted to feeling pressure after taking the lead in the seventh round. "I have not slept well in the last two days," he revealed, crediting his mentor GM RB Ramesh for his success and highlighting his clash against Anish Giri as his best game of the tournament.
Meanwhile, World No. 8 Praggnanandhaa finished tied second on five points, falling short after a loss to Giri in the final round. The Dutch GM outmaneuvered Praggnanandhaa in a King's Indian Defense, winning a rook for a minor piece to secure victory.
In other final-round results, David Navara drew with Sam Shankland, while Nguyen Thai Dai Van nearly defeated Vincent Keymer. In the Challengers' section, Divya Deshmukh closed on a high note with a win against Stamatis Kourkoulous-Arditis, as Nodirbek Yakubboev and Jonas Buhk Bjerre shared the top spot with seven points each.
Aravindh's victory solidifies his status among the world's best, and with a live rating of 2743, he now ranks World No. 14, setting the stage for more top-tier tournament invitations.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
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