Page 2 - R Praggnanandhaa

Praggnanandhaa meets Tamin Nadu CM MK Stalin, Sports Minister Udhayanidhi

Praggnanandhaa returned to India today after enjoying a successful campaign in the FIDE World Cup 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he went toe to toe with the Top 3 chess players in the world

Chess prodigya Praggnanandhaa arrives home after winning silver in FIDE WC

Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, who made history by clinching the silver medal in the 2023 FIDE World Cup, and entered the FIDE Candidates tournament, was accorded a rousing reception upon his arrival at the airport here on Wednesday. The officials from the state sports department received him at the airport. His fans eagerly waited at the exit gate and presented him a crown of flowers, a shawl and bouquets. Flowers were strewn on his path as he stepped out and artists performed Karagattam and Oyilattam, folk dances of Tamil Nadu, on the occasion. The teenager took his time watching the media persons swarm on either side of the vehicle into which he got into, and reacted I am very happy over the reception. He accepted the national tricolour offered to him and waved it. His mother Nagalakshmi too expressed glee over the grand reception accorded to her 18-year-old son. Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa's dream run in the FIDE World Cup ended at the hands of Norwegian Magnus Carlse

Minimum investment, deep dedication: Chess now offers workable career path

The stunning progress of teen prodigies R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh in international chess has encouraged several parents to consider the sport as a serious 'career option' for their children. Praggnanandhaa caught the imagination of the country when he reached the final of the FIDE World Cup after a sterling run through the tournament. So, what does it takes to be a wizard on the board, and turn it into a viable career? Experts have their say. Chess, in fact, is one of the least expensive sports to begin with, even with an initial investment as low as Rs 50. But the journey forward to chess mastery is not that simple, though. It requires endless hours of practice, and years of dedication. Pravin Thipsay, the first Indian to get a GM norm and currently the chairman of Indian trainers' commission, explained the path. "I had about zero investment. We learned the game ourselves by studying and discussing the moves and it took me about 600 matches to get to 2450-plus, (ELO) points,

Asian Games: Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh to join Indian chess men's team camp

The Asian Games-bound Indian men's chess team, which includes World Cup silver medallist GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa along with three other quarter-finalists, will undergo a four-day tactical camp here from August 30. Grandmsters Vidit Gujarathi, Arjun Erigaisi and R Gukesh, along with veteran Pentala Harikrishna as the other member are part of the Hangzhou-bound men's squad. The team is led by head coach legendary GM Boris Gelfand and includes coach Srinath Narayanan, assistant coaches Vaibhav Suri and Arjun Kalyan. The women's coaching camp is currently underway till Tuesday and has Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Vantika Agrawal and Savitha Shri B as the participants. "AICF's commitment is etched in unwavering support and cutting-edge facilities for our players," AICF president Sanjay Kapoor stated in a release. "This coaching camp stands as a testament to that commitment, providing an immersive experience that delves deep into strategy and finesse, enric

PM Modi lauds Pragg for 'remarkable performance' in chess World Cup

PM Narendra Modi lauded Indian chess grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa for his remarkable performance who came second at the FIDE World Cup. World No 1 Magnus Carlsen defeated India's grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa to clinch the title of International Chess Federation World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan on Thursday."We are proud of Praggnanandhaa for his remarkable performance at the FIDE World Cup! He showcased his exceptional skills and gave a tough fight to the formidable Magnus Carlsen in the finals. This is no small feat. Wishing him the very best for his upcoming tournaments," PM Modi wrote on his X (Formerly Twitter) handle. The Norwegian chess grandmaster won the first game of the Rapid Chess tie-breaker with black pieces and managed to hold on for a draw in the second game with white pieces. The tiebreaker is played in a Rapid Chess quicker-time control format. Praggnanandhaa fought hard but fell short with Carlsen summoning all his big match experience when it mattered the most.Earlier ..

Losing or winning match was not important: Pragganandhaa's father

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen defeated India's grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa to clinch the title of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan

Chess World Cup Final: Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen agree to draw second game

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa drew the second classical game of the final of the FIDE World Cup against world No.1 Magnus Carlsen here on Wednesday. The two players settled for a quiet draw in 30 moves after one-and-a-half hours of play in game two. The champion will be decided in the tie-breaks on Thursday. Carlsen played a solid game with white pieces against Praggnanandhaa. The teenaged Indian did not face any troubles with black pieces, with the players agreeing to a draw after 30 moves in an equal Bishop ending. The first game on Tuesday had ended in a stalemate after over four hours of play and 70-plus moves, following which Carlsen said he was a bit under the weather. The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa had stunned world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana on Monday via the tie-break in the semifinals to set up a summit clash with Carlsen at the World Cup. Praggnanandhaa, thus, became the third youngest player after the legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates

Chess World Cup Final: Praggnanandhaa holds Carlsen to a draw in first game

Indian GM R Praggnanandhaa held his own against World No.1 Magnus Carlsen to secure a draw in the first classical game of the final of the FIDE World Cup chess tournament here on Tuesday. The 18-year old Indian GM was impressive against a fancied and higher rated opponent and forced a stalemate in 35 moves while playing white pieces. This means Carlsen will have the advantage of playing white in the second game of the two-match classical series on Wednesday. Praggnanandhaa had stormed into the final by shocking world No.3 Fabiano Caruana 3.5-2.5. The Indian teenager became only the second player from the country to reach the final of the World Cup after the legendary Viswanathan Anand and has already qualified for the Candidates tournament in 2024.

Mother deserves all credit for Praggnanandhaa's success: Father Rameshbabu

The glint in R Nagalakshmi's eyes and that disarming smile standing in a corner of a room while watching her son ace the battle of 64 squares has been one of the most photogenic moments of GM R Praggnanandhaa's dream run during the ongoing World Cup Chess in Baku. The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa, who has reached the summit clash featuring legendary five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, had none other than the iconic Gary Kasparov, acknowledging the Indian GM's mother's role, which was akin to his own playing days. The Indian sporting scenario is replete with examples of parents, who have had massive influence in shaping their children's career. Just like three and half decades back, the photograph of a young Grandmaster named Viswanthan Anand, playing chess while seated on a swing with his mother Sushila, left a lasting impression, the satisfaction that was writ large on Nagalakshmi's face after Praggnanandhaa win over Arjun Ergaisi won't be forgotten in a hurry either. "I must .

It's a special kind of support: Garry Kasparov hails Praggnanandhaa, mother

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa's incredible run in the Chess World Cup has reminded the legendary Garry Kasparov of his time as the king of 64 squares. Impressed with the teen sensation's win over world No.3 Fabiano Caruana here on Monday, the former world champion Kasparov took to Twitter, formerly X, to laud the 18-year-old's feats and his mother's efforts. "Congrats to @rpragchess and to his mother. As someone whose proud mama accompanied me to every event, it's a special kind of support! The Chennai Indian defeated two New York cowboys! He has been very tenacious in difficult positions," Kasparov tweeted. Continuing his dream run, Praggnanandhaa on Monday stunned Caruana 3.5-2.5 via the tie-break in the semifinals to set up a summit clash with world number one and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway at the FIDE's premier event. Praggnanandhaa defeated Caruana after four rapid tiebreak games and thereafter stormed into the final of the showpiece. After the .

Defending in pressure situations is Praggnanandhaa's hallmark: India coach

R Praggnanandhaa's ability to defend seamlessly in pressure situations and the deductive mind to quickly gauge his opponent's weakness is the hallmark of a world class player, national coach GM M Shyam Sundar said on Tuesday. The Indian champion now faces the Norwegian superstar Magnus Carlsen in the final of the FIDE World Cup, one of the game's biggest events. According to GM Shyam, who is in Baku, Praggnanandhaa has an all-round game. "One of his biggest strengths is his ability to defend bad positions even against the absolute elite. His calculational abilities are excellent and he can confidently convert better positions to a win," he said. Most importantly, Praggnanandhaa is good in all formats, he reckons. "I believe that's one of the key factors that helped him reach the finals (here)! He also felt that "Pragg has very strong family support. The positive energy is definitely a bliss for him." Also, the emergence of a bunch of talented youngsters and a healthy competition

Chess World Cup: Praggnanandhaa shocks Caruana, to meet Carlsen in final

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa stunned world No.3 Fabiano Caruana 3.5-2.5 via the tie-break in the semifinals of the FIDE World Cup chess tournament here on Monday. After the two-game classical series ended 1-1, the 18-year-old Indian prodigy outlasted the highly-rated American GM in a battle of wits in a nerve-wracking tie-breaker. Praggnanandhaa will now take on Norway's Magnus Carlsen in the final. "Pragg goes through to the final! He beats Fabiano Caruana in the tiebreak and will face Magnus Carlsen now. What a performance!," chess legend Viswanathan Anand posted on 'X', formerly Twitter.

Chess World Cup: Praggnanandhaa holds Caruana to draw forces tie-break

Teenaged Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa drew the second game of the FIDE World Cup semifinal against American GM Fabiano Caruana on Sunday to push the contest into a tie-break. The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa tied the two-match classical series against Caruana 1-1. The two players will take part in a tie-break on Monday to decide who advances to the final against world No.1 Magnus Carlsen. Sunday's match between Praggnanandhaa and world No.3 Caruana ended in a stalemate in 47 moves. Carlsen, who had won the first game on Saturday, settled for a draw in 74 moves against Azerbaijan player Nijat Abasov to book his spot in the final. This was the first time the Norwegian superstar has made it to the World Cup final. Praggnanandhaa, teenaged chess star from Chennai, became only the second Indian ever to qualify for the semifinals of the World Cup after the legendary Viswanathan Anand and he will also feature in the Candidates tournament next year. The top three finishers in the ..

Julius Baer Chess Cup: Erigaisi enters semifinals, Praggnanandhaa bows out

Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi edged out fellow teenager Christopher Yoo in the quarterfinals via tie-breaker to reach the last four round of the Julius Baer Generation Cup online rapid chess tournament on Friday. Erigiasi's compatriot R Praggnanandhaa, however, crashed out, losing 1-3 to Germany's Vincent Keymer. World champion Magnus Carlsen, a winner over Levon Aronian of USA), will face 17-year old Keymer while the other semifinal will feature Vietnam's Liem Quang Le and Erigaisi. The 19-year-old Erigaisi and 15-year-old Yoo were locked 2-2 after the four rapid games. The Indian won the opening game before his opponent bounced back to level. The same pattern was repeated in the next two games. In the blitz tie-break, Erigiasi won the first to seize the advantage and drew the second to progress to the semifinals. Praggnanandhaa suffered a setback when he went down in the opening game. The next two games ended in draws. With the 17-year-old Indian needing a win to force a ...

FTX Crypto Cup: Praggnanandhaa beats Carlsen, but loses out on top prize

Young Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa produced a superb performance, wining three straight games including two in the blitz tie-breaks to outwit world No.1 Magnus Carlsen 4-2 in the final round of the FTX Crypto Cup here on Monday. However, despite the win over Carlsen, the 17-year old could only take second place in the final standings. The Norwegian won the top prize on the basis of a higher score. He finished with 16 match points to the Indian prodigy's tally of 15. "I've been playing badly all day, but now I'm getting the results I deserve... it's never good to lose, but this is as good a time as any!," Carlsen said after the match. Alireza Firouzja, another highly-rated teen and a prodigy, also finished on 15 points but had to settle for third place as he had lost the clash against Praggnanandhaa earlier. The first two games of the Carlsen-Praggnanandhaa match were drawn before the world No.1 went ahead by clinching the third. In a surprise turn of events, the Indian won

FTX Crypto Cup: Chess prodigy Praggnanandhaa records four wins in a row

Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa handed world No.6 Levon Aronian a 3-1 thrashing in the fourth round to notch up his fourth consecutive win in the FTX Crypto Cup, the American finale of Champions Chess Tour, on Friday. The 17-year old Indian is in joint lead with 12 match points along with world No.1 Magnus Carlsen, who defeated Quang Liem Le of China 3-1. Praggnanandhaa won the third game with white pieces after the first two in the four-game match ended in a stalemate. First, he won with white pieces to take a 2-1 lead after game three and stormed to victory in 44 moves in the fourth to seal an emphatic win over the acclaimed American star. Having started his campaign with victory over Alireza Firouzja, the Indian GM has subsequently beaten Anish Giri and Hans Nieman. Carlsen, meanwhile, secured a similar result, winning games three and four after the first two were drawn. The duo of Praggnanandhaa and Carslen have a four-point lead over Alireza Firouzja, the world No.4 and the

Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa wins title in Norway chess open

Young Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa emerged winner in the Norway Chess Group A open chess tournament here with 7.5 points from nine rounds

Chessable Masters final: Praggnanandhaa loses to Ding Liren in tie-break

Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa went down fighting to world No 2 Ding Liren in the tie-break of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Chessable Masters 2022 online tournament final

India's Praggnanandhaa stuns World Champion Carlsen for second time in year

India's 16-year-old Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu stunned World Champion Magnus Carlsen for the second time in just three months

Explained: How India is coming to dominate the chessboard

India has its own chess-specific websites including Chessbase India, a local subsidiary of the European giant, which sells the most commonly used software