Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, India’s chess prodigy, drew inspiration from his sister Vaishali, who is also a chess player, to pursue the game. He started playing chess at the young age of six. Since then,he has gone on to become a big name internationally.
Born on August 10, 2005 in Tamil Nadu, Praggnanandhaa made chess his life’s calling which can be noticed from his intense passion for the board game. He exhibited tremendous talent and potential by winning various national and international tournaments in his age category.
Achievements
His most cherished achievement would be beating the world champion Magnus Carlsen in a rapid game at the age of 16. His passion and dedication has led him to lift several titles and championships. Here are some of the events he has won in his career:
- World Youth Chess Championship Under-8 title in 2013
- World Youth Chess Championship Under-10 title in 2015
- Xtracon Chess Open in Denmark in 2019 2
- World Youth Chess Championship Under-18 title in 2019 3
- Polgar Challenge, part of the Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour, in 2021 4
- Asian Continental Chess Championship in 2021
Feats:
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With a great amount of focus in the game and perseverance that one could gather, Praggnanandhaa has brought home various laurels making everyone proud. In his promising career, Praggnanandhaa pulled of several records in his promising career:
- Becoming the youngest international master in history
- Becoming the second-youngest grandmaster in history
- Becoming the youngest player to defeat the-world champion Magnus Carlsen in a rapid game
- Becoming the second-youngest player to achieve a rating of 2600
Challenges
Praggnanandhaa has reached a pedestal in the world of chess, but is not without his own challenges and impediments. He comes from a humble background where his parents where he had to struggle to get proper facilities for training in chess unlike his competitors, especially in other parts of the world. His father Rameshbabu, works as a branch manager and his mother Nagalakshmi, is a homemaker.
The kid had to negotiate between his academic assignments and hunger for chess as he did not get support at the school or community level. He had to back himself and bank on his talent to turn his dream into a reality. He is coached by RB Ramesh.
Also Read: Indian Chess Dominance: Five Players Secure Top 10 Spots in Junior World Rankings
Objective
Praggnanandhaa has set out to achieve big in the chess world. His ultimate goal is to become the world champion in chess, which would be the peak of his achievements. He wants to follow the footsteps of his idol, Viswanathan Anand, who has won the world championship five times. The teenager also hopes to bag some more titles and tournaments such as the prestigious Grand Chess Tour, the World Cup, the Candidates Tournament, and the Chess Olympiad.
Also Read: Why do men and women have different competitions in Chess?
The grandmaster has become a household name in India with his achievements. He was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2022, which is one of the highest sporting honors in India.
Praggnanandhaa is a story of inspiration. His passion and determination for the game has propelled his success. The fire in his belly is still burning. He has already become an icon for many who want to check and mate!
