R Praggnanandhaa
| Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | |
|---|---|
 Praggnanandhaa at Tata Steel Chess 2017 | |
| Born | 10 August 2005 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Title | Grandmaster (2018) |
| FIDE rating | 2737 (November 2024) |
| Peak rating | 2532 (August 2018) |
| Ranking | No. 18 (November 2024) |
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (born 10 August 2005), is an Indian chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, he is the second-youngest person ever to achieve the title of grandmaster, behind Sergey Karjakin.[1]
Chess career
Praggnanandhaa is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He won the World Youth Chess Championship Under-8 title in 2013 earning him the title of Fide Master at the age of 7. He also won the Under-10 title in 2015.[2]
In 2016, Praggnanandhaa became the youngest International Master in history, at the age of 10 years, 10 months, and 19 days.[3][4] He achieved his first grandmaster norm at the World Junior Chess Championship in November 2017, finishing 4th with 8 points.[5] He bagged his second norm at the Heraklion Fischer Memorial GM Norm tournament in Greece on 17 April 2018.[6] On 23 June 2018 he achieved his third and final GM norm at the Gredine Open in Urtijëi by defeating Luca Moroni in the eighth round to become, at the age of 12 years, 10 months and 13 days, the second-youngest person ever to achieve the status of grandmaster (Sergey Karjakin achieved the title at the age of 12 years and 7 months).[7]
In 2018, he was invited to the Leon Masters 2018 for a four-game rapid match against Wesley So. So was expected to win comfortably, but the 12-year-old Praggnanandhaa surprised chess enthusiasts by defeating So in game one, and after three games the score was tied at 1½–1½. In the last game So defeated Praggnanandhaa, thus winning the match 2½–1½.[8]
Personal life
Praggnanandhaa lives in the suburb of Padi in Chennai. His father works at a bank and his mother is a homemaker. His elder sister, Vaishali Rameshbabu, is a two-time youth chess champion. They are devotees of Kalki Bhagavan.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Chennai's Praggnanandhaa becomes 2nd youngest GM - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ "I'm Praggnanandhaa, world's youngest ever chess International Master". The Indian Express. 1 June 2016.
- ^ "Praggnanandhaa – youngest chess IM in history!". ChessBase. 29 May 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ Barden, Leonard (21 October 2016). "Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa chases world grandmaster age record at 11" – via The Guardian.
- ^ "Praggnanandhaa in race to become youngest ever chess Grandmaster". www.chessable.com.
- ^ "Praggnanandhaa bags his second GM norm". timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- ^ "Praggnanandhaa becomes India's youngest Grandmaster". ESPN. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ https://chessbase.in/news/Praggnanandhaa_Wesley_So_Leon_2018
External links
- R Praggnanandhaa rating card at FIDE
- Games of Praggnanandhaa R. in Chessgames.com
