NEW DELHI: 18-year-old chess prodigy
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa
clinched the number one spot among India's chess players after a stellar victory over World champion
Ding Liren
at the 2024
Tata Steel Chess
tournament.
Cricket legend
Sachin Tendulkar
took to social media to commend the young chess sensation for his extraordinary achievement.
Tendulkar, expressing his admiration for Praggnanandhaa's remarkable triumph, stated, "Big cheers to @rpraggnachess for this remarkable triumph against World Champion, Ding Liren.
At the young age of 18, you haven't just dominated the game but also risen to become India's top-rated player. Best wishes for your upcoming challenges. Continue to bring glory to India on the international stage in chess."
Praggnanandhaa, reflecting on the unexpected victory, remarked, "I felt I equalized very easily and then somehow things started to go wrong for him. Even after I won the pawn I felt it should be holdable."
The young chess sensation, who began playing at the tender age of 5, went on to become India's youngest Grandmaster at age 12 in 2018. He currently holds the distinction of being the world's second-youngest Grandmaster ever. Notably, Praggnanandhaa's elder sister, R Vaishali, is also a Grandmaster, making them the world's first-ever brother-sister duo with such a prestigious title.
The chess community is buzzing with excitement over Praggnanandhaa's rise to the top of Indian chess, and his victory over Ding Liren has brought him widespread recognition.
(With inputs from ANI)
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