Chess World Cup: Vidit advances; Praggnanandhaa bows out

India No. 3 Vidit Santosh Gujrathi registered a 2-0 win over Jeffrey Xiong on Friday to advance to the fifth round in the FIDE chess World Cup here.

However, the good run of teenaged Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa ended with a 0.5-1.5 defeat to Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the fourth round.

The French GM came back strongly after having drawn the first game with a 33-move win in the second to send the highly-rated Indian prodigy packing.

Gujrathi, riding high after a good win in Thursday's first game, sealed a spot in the fifth round with a 43-move victory over his American opponent in a Pillsbury Defence opening.

The 15-year old Praggnanandhaa (Elo rating 2608), playing in his maiden World Cup, had posted three impressive wins, including one over veteran Michal Krasenkow in the third round, before Vachier-Lagrave proved his superiority.

Tournament favourite and world No.1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway was held to a draw in the second game by Radosław Wojtaszek (Poland) and the two will play a tie-break on Saturday.