Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has built a dependable reputation at high-stakes tournaments, consistently proving he is a player you can never rule out. His breakthrough came at the 2023 FIDE World Cup, where his run to the finals and fierce battle against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen cemented his status as a top prospect. Naturally, he arrived in Goa as a prime title contender, looking to finish the business he had started in Baku. However, his campaign nearly ended in his very first round.It took three days, two classical games, four rapid games, two blitz games, and a herculean effort for Praggnanandhaa to dodge a bullet in the form of Uzbek-Australian Grandmaster Temur Kuybokarov.After holding Praggnanandhaa to a draw comfortably in two Classical rounds, Kuybokarov was flawless in the first 15+10 rapid game, giving the Indian no opportunities for an advantage. Building on this momentum, he nearly delivered the event’s biggest upset in the second rapid game, getting a completely winning position (+5.0). A loss would have ended Pragg’s run, but luck was on his side on Thursday. With the biggest win of his career within grasp, Kuybokarov let it slip by misplacing his knight to f7, allowing Pragg to force a draw by perpetual check.As the match moved to the 10+10 rapid tiebreaks, Kuybokarov struck immediately, holding on to a second chance. From a dead-drawn position, he capitalised on a one-move blunder by Pragg, turning the tide in his favour. The Indian had lost; suddenly, he was under pressure and needed to win on demand. In the next game, a must-win for Pragg, where Kuybokarov only needed a draw, victory was served to the Indian on a platter. Right from the opening, Kuybokarov made life difficult for himself by playing risky, ultra-aggressive moves that ultimately cost him the game. Pragg was back in the battle, once again proving to be a slippery customer.The match then advanced to the 5+3 blitz segment, which was Pragg’s best chance to close it out for good. As the clear favourite in this faster time control, he did exactly what was required, leaving his 25-year-old opponent no chances as he won both consecutive blitz games to confirm his qualification to the third round. Across the two classical games on Tuesday and Wednesday, Vidit never held a clear positional or time advantage. (Photo Credit: Michal Walusza/FIDE)The conclusion of the Round 2 tiebreaks also brought a sigh of relief for Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, who faced the World Cup’s youngest-ever participant, 12-year-old Argentine Faustino Oro.Across the two classical games on Tuesday and Wednesday, Vidit never held a clear positional or time advantage. It seemed throughout that he was struggling to keep up with Oro, who is fondly called the ‘Messi of Chess.’ The prodigy matched Vidit’s skills and abilities for most of the match, even into the tiebreaks. The first rapid game was flawless from both players, who played with nearly 99% accuracy.Story continues below this adHowever, the second 15+10 rapid game finally brought an end to the hard-fought contest when Oro cracked under pressure after otherwise putting on an inspired performance. When asked how it felt to beat the 12-year-old, Vidit saw the humour in the question. “I mean, if you put it that way, I don’t know what I can answer,” he laughed. “It feels good to qualify for the next round, and it was not an easy match. So the win feels even sweeter because of it.”Vidit then compared the new generation of chess players and their distinct style, while also praising the Argentine teenage sensation.“The way they play chess is very different because they have grown up with computers and have a lot more exposure than previous generations. But it’s not like there are many prodigies; he is special as well. At his age, he plays chess like a seasoned player. Of course, he has some weaknesses, but the way he is improving month on month, I see huge opportunities for him, and he can go very far,” he said.The tiebreaks also saw World Junior Champion Pranav V, Pranesh M, and SL Narayanan qualify for the third round. Pranav defeated Norway’s No. 3, Aryan Tari. Narayanan and veteran English GM Nikita Vitiugov played six consecutive draws before the Indian delivered the final blow in the blitz tiebreak. Pranesh was clinical, wrapping up his match against Germany’s Dmitrij Kollars in the two rapid tiebreak games. Meanwhile, Nihal Sarin was knocked out after suffering a shock loss from Greek GM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis, who previously eliminated Divya Deshmukh in the first round.Story continues below this adOn Wednesday, D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Pentala Harikrishna, Diptayan Ghosh, and Karthik Venkataraman had already qualified for the third round.Key results:R. Praggnanandhaa bt Temur Kuybokarov (Aus) 5.0-3.0; Vidit Gujrathi bt Faustino Oro (Arg) 2.5-1.5; Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis (Gre) bt Nihal Sarin 2.5-1.5; Pranav V bt Aryan Tari (Nor) 2.5-1.5; M. Pranesh bt Dmitrij Kollars (Ger) 3-1; S.L. Narayanan bt Nikita Vitiugov (Rus) 5.0-3.0; Idani Pouya (Ira) bt Karthikeyan Murali; 4.5-3.5; Robert Hovhannisyan (Arm) bt Raunak Sadhwani 3-1.