Indias R Praggnanandhaa emerged as the unconquered king in the World Youth Chess Championship, claiming the coveted gold in the Under-18 Open here on Saturday.
The 14-year-old Grand Master from Chennai etched out a cautious draw in the 11th and final round against Valentin Buckels (Germany) to top the charts with 9 points. He, however, will have to thank compatriot IM Arjun Kalyan for engineering a crucial draw against top seeded Shant Sargsyan (Armenia).
Praggnanandhaa would have been under pressure if Grand Master Shant had won; but Shant couldn”t unravel a determined Arjun, allowing Praggnanandhaa to call truce and annex the title.