Pragg beats Giri, launches Candidates mission aimed at meeting Gukesh in World Championship

India's R Praggnanandhaa made a powerful start to the FIDE Candidates Tournament by defeating Dutchman Anish Giri in the first round at Pegeia in Cyprus on Sunday.

Pragg, affectionately known as Praggnanandhaa, is competing against seven leading players to become the challenger to World Champion D Gukesh.

To become eligible to face his compatriot in the World Championship match, Pragg must win the Candidates, an eight-player 14-round event that runs until April 15. Pragg, the only Indian in the open section of the Candidates, will play black against Wei Yi of China, in the second round on Monday.

Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Matthias Bluebaum, Javokhir Sindarov and Andrey Esipenko are the other players in the open section. World No 1, Magnus Carlsen, is not competing as he has repeatedly expressed his lack of interest in playing for the World Championship. Carlsen, who has been World No 1 since 2011, won the World Championship five times.

Meanwhile, GMs Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali, the two Indians competing in the women's section of the Candidates, drew their opening rounds against Anna Muzychuk and Bibisara Assaubayeva respectively.

The two other games in the women's section, featuring Zhu Jiner and Tan Zhongyi, and Aleksandra Goryachkina and Kateryna Lagno, also ended in draws.

Divya and Vaishali will clash in the second round on Monday, with the former having white pieces. Vaishali is the elder sister of Pragg.

India No 1, GM Koneru Humpy, pulled out of the Candidates due to alleged unsafe conditions in the wake of the ongoing Middle East crisis. The island nation of Cyprus is less than 200 km from Lebanon, from where the Iran-backed Hezbollah operate. Hundreds of Lebanese people have been killed in Israeli attacks in recent days.