16-YEAR-OLD INDIAN GRANDMASTER BEAT WORLD NO.1 MAGNUS CARLSEN

Tue 22 February 2022:

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, a chess grandmaster from India, has received praise for his surprise victory over world number one Magnus Carlsen in an online tournament.

At the Airthings Masters rapid chess competition on Monday, Praggnanandhaa, 16, who became the youngest international master in history at the age of ten in 2016, defeated Carlsen.

“It’s about time to go to bed as I don’t think I will have dinner at 2.30 in the morning,” a visibly calm Praggnanandhaa said after the 39-move victory playing black.

Others, notably Indians Viswanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna, have defeated Carlsen, but Praggnanandhaa is the youngest since the Norwegian became world champion in 2013.

Anand, a five-time world champion and acclaimed as the greatest chess player India has produced, tweeted: “Always proud of our talents! Very good day for @rpragchess.”

Praggnanandhaa, who was born in Chennai and is widely regarded as a future world title contender, has also received accolades from Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.

“What a wonderful feeling it must be for Pragg. All of 16, and to have beaten the experienced & decorated Magnus Carlsen, and that too while playing black, is magical!,” Tendulkar wrote on Twitter.

“Best wishes on a long & successful chess career ahead. You’ve made India proud!”

What a wonderful feeling it must be for Pragg. All of 16, and to have beaten the experienced & decorated Magnus Carlsen, and that too while playing black, is magical!

Best wishes on a long & successful chess career ahead. You’ve made India proud! pic.twitter.com/hTQiwznJvX

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) February 21, 2022

Carlsen, 31, looked to make a mistake in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event, which had a prize fund of over $1.5 million.

Carlsen stated on Monday that the consequences of a recent coronavirus infection were still bothering him.

“It was better today, but the first couple of days, I was feeling like I am okay but I don’t have any energy and it was kind of hard to focus,” Carlsen said.

In December, Carlsen won his fifth consecutive global chess championship, defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi in a match in which the Russian lost his cool after losing an epic eight-hour game, the longest ever played at a world championship.

The triumph comes after a lackluster showing in the tournament thus far, with his previous victory coming in the eighth round versus grandmaster Levon Aronian.

“His results in the past six months has swung between extremes,” Praggnanandhaa’s coach RB Ramesh was quoted as saying on ESPN.

“The fluctuation can be worrying and needs to be stabilised. This win against Magnus is important. Beating one of the strongest players in chess history is a huge moment for him.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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