The Facts
Norway's Magnus Carlsen on Thursday defeated India's Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa to win the FIDE World Cup of Chess — earning him the only major tournament win missing from his trophy cabinet.
The 32-year-old grandmaster, who has been the highest-rated chess player in the world for over 12 years, secured the victory after three days of play in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. After the first two classical games ended in a draw, the match went to a two-game tie-break played under faster time control.
The Spin
Narrative A
In securing this tournament win, Carlsen not only sealed the only trophy missing from his already illustrious cabinet but also secured himself as one of the greatest chess players of all time.
Narrative B
While Carlsen was victorious on this occasion, Praggnanandhaa's excellent performance spells the rise of the younger generation of chess players who will now consistently rival Carlsen for the sport's top prizes.