Chess prodigy R.Praggnanandhaa takes the chess world by storm, after shattering a number of records at a pretty young age. He is amongst the top Youngest Grandmasters in the world having achieved this at a tender age of 12 years, 10 months, 13 days. The indian wonderkid participated in the 2023 FIDE World Cup, where he made a remarkable run to the finals. At just 18 years old, Praggnanandhaa became the youngest player ever to reach the finals of this prestigious tournament. In the final, he faced off against Magnus Carlsen, the world number one and five-time World Champion. Despite a valiant effort, Praggnanandhaa was defeated by Carlsen, who secured the title. He seems to be following in the footsteps of the phenomenal Magnus Carlsen who is arguably the greatest world chess player of all time, having the longest streak as world number one with a streak of 151 months (2011- ). Despite beating the “Second Anand” Carlsen referred to Praggnanandhaa as a “mentality monster,” highlighting the young player’s resilience and composure under pressure, especially after he showcased exceptional skill by defeating top players like Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura along the way (Hindustan Times).
Besides, reaching the FIDE world championship he also has shattered a number of noticeable records which shows he has a promising future ahead of him in the world of chess. Some of his noticeable achievements are:
Youngest International Master (IM): Praggnanandhaa achieved the title of International Master at the age of 10 years, 10 months, and 19 days in 2016, making him one of the youngest IMs in history.
Second Youngest Grandmaster (GM): In 2018, Praggnanandhaa became the second youngest grandmaster in history at the age of 12 years, 10 months, and 13 days. He missed out on becoming the youngest GM by only a few days, behind Sergey Karjakin.
Youngest Indian to Cross 2500 Elo Rating: In 2020, Praggnanandhaa became the youngest Indian chess player to cross the 2500 Elo rating mark, a significant milestone in professional chess.
The world’s first-ever brother-sister Grandmaster duo: Praggnanandhaa and his sister R Vaishali are the fast sibling duo to have the grandmaster title.
World Youth Chess Champion: Praggnanandhaa has won multiple World Youth Chess Championships in different age categories, showcasing his dominance in youth chess on the international stage.
Despite him not being able to be a finalist in the 2024 FIDE world championship, Praggnanandhaa placed 3rd out of 8 participants in the 2024 Candidates Tournament, getting 7 points out of 14. All of his fleeting achievements proves that he is a worthy contender and might prove to be a challenge in the chess world, especially since he is peaking at a very young age. The million dollar question is will Praggnanandhaa get Magnus Carlsen get out of early retirement?
Since he felt that he isn’t motivated to play another match. I simply feel that I don’t have a lot to gain, I don’t particularly like it (World Championship tie),”- Carlsen Magnus.