Indian teen chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa made waves in the Chess World Cup Final by drawing the second game against world No. 1 and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen. The intense competition lasted over an hour, showcasing the brilliance of both players in Baku, Azerbaijan.
As a result, a tiebreaker is scheduled for the following day, August 24, to determine the winner of the FIDE World Cup. The International Chess Federation shared the update on X, stating, “Magnus Carlsen takes a quiet draw with white against Praggnanandhaa and sends the final to tiebreaks. The winner of the #FIDEWorldCup will be decided tomorrow!” Praggnanandhaa’s remarkable journey to the final included defeating World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana.
Born and raised in Chennai, Praggnanandhaa’s interest in chess was ignited by his older sister, Vaishali, who began playing at the age of 6 and later became a grandmaster in 2018. In 2016, Praggnanandhaa made history by winning his ninth-round game at the KIIT International Chess Festival in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, becoming an international chess master at the young age of 10 years, 10 months, and 19 days.
Wishes poured in for the young chess talent. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi congratulated Praggnanandhaa for reaching the FIDE World Cup final and extended his best wishes for the title match against Magnus Carlsen. He posted on X, “Congratulations to R Praggnanandhaa for an outstanding FIDE Chess World Cup journey to the Finals. My best wishes for the title match against Magnus Carlsen. More than a billion Indians are cheering for you.”
Union Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia also joined in the congratulatory messages, stating on X, “Heartiest congratulations and best of luck to India’s young genius Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa as he advances to the finals of FIDE World Cup 2023.” The world is eagerly awaiting the outcome of the tiebreaker as these sharp minds continue to captivate the chess world.
