Page 2 - Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa

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 ..

16-year-old Indian chess GM Praggnanandhaa shocks world No. 1 Carlsen

16-year-old chess Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa shocked world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the eighth round of the Airthings Masters rapid online chess tournament

How 12-year-old R Praggnanandhaa became India's youngest Chess Grandmaster

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has made his opening gambit by becoming the second youngest Grandmaster ever, greater glory will follow if the 12-year-old retains his hunger, writes Devangshu Datta