Wesley So Defends Controversial Draw vs. Praggnanandhaa: 'Things Happened So Fast'

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The 2026 Tata Steel Chess India Rapid Tournament in Kolkata saw Nihal Sarin take home the top prize, beating out Indian chess legends Viswanathan Anand and Arjun Erigaisi. The event, which drew top Grandmasters despite the absence of D Gukesh, was marred by controversy in Round 6 between American GM Wesley So and Indian GM R. Praggnanandhaa. Praggnanandhaa found himself in a tight spot, with just one second left on the clock and a pawn promotion opportunity that he realized he wouldn't be able to complete in time. With time running out, he called the arbiter, and after a brief discussion, both players agreed to a draw. Many fans felt that So should have been awarded the win due to Praggnanandhaa's time trouble. Chess arbiter Chris Bird also weighed in on social media, suggesting that the game should have been ruled a loss for Praggnanandhaa. However, So has come forward to defend the draw, stating that he was the one who proposed it, not the arbiter. In a social media post, So explained that things moved quickly and both players did what they thought was best in the moment. He also congratulated Nihal Sarin on his dominating performance, which earned him the Open Rapid title in Round 9. Sarin's win was a surprise, as he was initially not expected to participate in the tournament. He took advantage of D Gukesh's withdrawal and went on to secure a draw against Anand in the final round.