Praggnanandhaa keeps India's World Chess title hopes alive (2024)

Praggnan

Venkatachari Jagannathan

Chennai, Sep 3 (IANS) Eighteen-year-old Indian chess Grandmaster (GM) R. Praggnanandhaa (ELO rating 2,727) last month became the second Indian after former world champion GM Viswanathan Anand to enter the Candidates Tournament to be held in Canada next year.

And he did that in style at the recently-concluded FIDE World Cup held at Baku, Azerbaijan, knocking out world No. 2 and 3 -- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2,787) and Fabiano Caruana (2,782) of the US, respectively -- before going down to world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen (2,835) of Norway in the final, losing in tie-breaker.

As of now, Praggnanandhaa is keeping Indian hopes for the chess world title alive as the winner of the Candidates Tournament will challenge the reigning global chess king China’s Liren Ding (2,780).

“Praggnanandhaa can become the world champion in three to five years' time, if not now,” GM R.B. Ramesh, the young prodigy’s chess coach, told IANS.

Praggnanandhaa, according to Ramesh, is a balanced person, taking everything -- win or defeat -- in his strides.

“He is not overawed by his opponent’s stature or rating. When he came to me as a seven-year-old, he used to believe that an opponent is just an opponent, higher or lower rated. If he is a higher-rated player, it is an opportunity to learn, and if he is a lower-rated player, then play carefully. All the top-rated players started with a low rating, and this has been drilled into his mind and he follows that,” Ramesh said.

Interestingly, for both Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen, it was their maiden World Cup tournament with one winning and the other coming second.

It was Praggnanandhaa’s father Rameshbabu, a banker, who had approached Ramesh to coach his son and elder daughter and woman GM R. Vaishali at a function held to felicitate the young champion who had just won the world U-8 title.

It is going to be nearly a decade since Praggnanandhaa came under Ramesh’s fold.

“At that time, Vaishali was stronger. The sister-brother duo realised that they are talented in chess and also understood the importance of hard work and had the mind set for that,” Ramesh said.

According to him, till Praggnanandhaa became a GM, he was weak in the opening moves and used to get into time trouble because of that.

A very good positional player, Praggnanandhaa would make up for the weak openings in the middle game and sail through, Ramesh added.

After becoming a GM, Praggnanandhaa focused on his openings and now one can say that he is an expert and also one of the best end-game players, Ramesh said.

Even after scaling new heights, the success did not go into their heads as they continued to remain simple as before.

“Perhaps they imbibed that from their parents,” Ramesh said.

Praggnanandhaa became the youngest to become an International Master (IM) and GM at the age of 10 and 12, respectively.

However, Ramesh had drilled into his wards’ heads that they are students till they become world champions.

One of the striking features about Praggnanandhaa is that he is not emotional and takes things as they come. He might win against a top player, but he would focus on performing well in the next round or tournament, Ramesh added.

“Praggnanandhaa is a very humble and joyful guy who's good to hang out with,” another young Indian GM, Arjun Erigaisi (19), who made it to the quarterfinals in Baku, told IANS.

Interestingly, Erigaisi, the world No. 5 in the juniors' category, lost to Praggnanandhaa in the World Cup quarterfinals.

The two players used to go out for walks in the morning in Baku.

Being the World Cup runner-up and entering the Candidates Tournament was the great double birthday present that Praggnanandhaa gave himself after celebrating the same on August 10 in Baku.

Following the stellar performance at the recently-concluded World Cup, Praggnanandhaa's ratings went up as he entered the top 20 club in the world in the open category besides becoming world No. 3 in the juniors' section.

For Praggnanandhaa, it all started at his home watching his elder sister Vaishali play chess.

According to their mother R. Nagalakshmi, the two children breathe chess and nothing else and avoid other diversions. The siblings are also not interested in movies and television shows.

An Arjuna Awardee, God-fearing Praggnanandhaa sports the sacred ash on his forehead and makes his first move after praying to the Almighty.

"He does not have any favourite Hindu deity. He just prays before making the first move," Nagalakshmi said.

According to her, the two watch TV only while eating and they like home-cooked food.

At home, the siblings play chess and also "discuss and dissect" other games.

Praggnanandhaa also plays table tennis, badminton and watches only nail-biting cricket match highlights.

While the siblings decimate opponents, their parents juggle their work schedule to accompany their wards on domestic and international trips.

Nagalakshmi accompanies them a lot. But the issue crops up when the two have to play in different countries at the same time.

The accolades also come at a cost, as the family members have to skip several social functions.

As regards the funds, the city-based Ramco group financially supported Praggnanandhaa.

Praggnanandhaa keeps India's World Chess title hopes alive (2024)

FAQs

Who is the youngest Indian chess player to achieve the title of grandmaster? ›

India's youngest Grandmaster, Gukesh began his chess journey at seven, and is only the second Indian to qualify for a World Championship final after Viswanathan Anand.

Who was the first Indian to win the world champion title in chess? ›

Viswanathan Anand (born December 11, 1969, Madras [now Chennai], India) is an Indian chess master who won the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE; international chess federation) world championship in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012. (Read Garry Kasparov's Britannica essay on chess & Deep Blue.)

Where did Praggnanandhaa learn chess? ›

But Velammal Institutions is the catalysing force behind this chess revolution in the city. It is the nursery where GMs D Gukesh, who on Monday won the Candidates to become the youngest-ever challenger for world title, and R Praggnanandhaa learned the intricacies of the sport.

Who is the 17-year-old grandmaster of chess? ›

In his fledgling career, 17-year-old Gukesh has constantly wooed history. He became India's youngest grandmaster ever at the age of 12 years, seven months, 17 days, missing the tag of the world's youngest by a mere 17 days.

How much money did Praggnanandhaa earn? ›

He is the third youngest player after legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates tournament. For finishing second in the FIDE World Cup 2023, Praggnanandhaa has earned a whopping sum of USD 80,000 (approximately ₹66,13,444).

What is the IQ level of Vishwanathan Anand? ›

IQ does not matter, but for academic purposes and FUN ONLY, Vishy's Anand's IQ based on his Chess Elo of 2750 is (2750/10 - 100) = 175. His career peek IQ was 2817. So, his IQ is on paper, 181 or 182. (Elo/10 - 100) is the formula being used.

Who is the god of chess in India? ›

Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand (born 11 December 1969) is an Indian chess grandmaster, a former five-time World Chess Champion and a record two-time Chess World Cup Champion. He became the first grandmaster from India in 1988, and he has the eighth-highest peak FIDE rating of all time.

What rank is Praggnanandhaa in chess? ›

GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu 2750 | #12

GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu is an Indian grandmaster who had one of the greatest youth careers in chess history. Praggnanandhaa, who only turned 18 years old in 2023, is one of the youngest grandmasters and world championship candidates ever.

How is Praggnanandhaa so good at chess? ›

Most players train by moving pieces on the board, but when you do that, your visualisation skills will not be so good. That's why Pragg is probably the best among all the other players in his generation when it comes to visualisation,” Ramesh had said in August last year after the FIDE World Cup.

Who sponsors Praggnanandhaa? ›

Praggnanandhaa enters into a long term sponsorship agreement with Adani Group. It's a massive development for Indian chess. One of the biggest conglomerates, not just in the country, but across the world - the Adani Group, has decided to support to R. Praggnanandhaa in his journey to becoming the World Champion.

Is Praggnanandhaa vegetarian? ›

No specific diet as such. Praggu eats vegetarian but even non-veg too,” informed Ramesh Babu. “After a game, he relaxes with his mother and speaks in general. He takes good rest, is off social media (during tournaments) and does not believe in gym culture to stay fit.

Who is the youngest chess player to beat a grandmaster? ›

Formal conditions. The youngest player to defeat a grandmaster under standard time controls is Ashwath Kaushik, who in February 2024 defeated Jacek Stopa at the age of 8 years, 6 months, and 11 days.

Who is the youngest grandmaster of India 2024? ›

Grandmaster D Gukesh scripted history for India as he became the youngest man in the world to win the Candidates tournament. The 17-year-old will challenge Ding Liren for the World Championship crown later in 2024.

Who is the 14 year old chess champion? ›

Alice Lee beat a grand master and joins a shortlist of youngest elite champions. NORTH OAKS, Minn. — At the age of 13, Alice Lee put the chess world on notice, becoming the youngest U.S. female to earn the title of international master. Her win last week, at the age of 14, might be even more impressive.

Who is the 10 year old grandmaster? ›

The record for the youngest-ever awarding of the title is held by US citizen Abhimanyu Mishra, who did it aged 10 years, nine months and 20 days. He went on to become the youngest grandmaster in history, at 12 years, four months and 25 days old.

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