Chennai-based R. Praggnanandhaa is the youngest and the latest in the list of Grandmasters from India. At 12 years, 10 months and 13 days, he made chess history, becoming the second-youngest Grandmaster, behind only Sergey Karjakin, who now represents Russia. Praggnanandhaa has thereby emulated compatriot Parimarjan Negi, who became the second-youngest GM on the all-time list in 2006. Stories about Praggu, as he is affectionately called, are already legion in the chess world. Even at a younger age, he would sit for hours with the chess pieces and solve puzzles faster than other children. At such a tender age, his ability to pinpoint the best possible continuation from among the many that present themselves after every move, and then justify his choice by executing a larger plan, has the chess world fascinated. Even in positions where most players would show signs of resignation, Praggnanandhaa’s never-say-die attitude stands out. His facility in finding the right moves in quick time has been evident for a while now. The pre-teen, who has already acquired a vast knowledge of multiple opening, middle-game and end-game strategies, is regarded as the most promising Indian chess talent after Negi.
A protégé of Grandmaster R.B. Ramesh, undoubtedly the best trainer in the country, Praggnanandhaa gave early notice of his potential by becoming the world’s youngest International Master in 2016. For well over a year he was expected to become the youngest-ever GM but he missed the March 9 deadline; as a result, Karjakin’s record survived. Now that the pressure of gaining the GM title is off, he can be expected to play more freely. Apart from quality inputs from Ramesh, what has also helped Praggnanandhaa’s career is the advantage of having his 17-year-old sister R. Vaishali, a Woman International Master with two Woman Grandmaster norms, as his playing partner. But the path ahead may be far more challenging. The burden of expectations is bound to increase hereon. He will be invited by the organisers of some of the more sought-after events. The quality of the opposition will be higher. The youngster should be ready to counter rivals who may be better-prepared than those he has faced so far. Tournament victories may be hard to come by initially, since his games will be studied and analysed thoroughly by the opposition. Though age is clearly on Praggnanandhaa’s side, by itself it is no guarantee of continued success. He will require the work ethic and dedication of a Viswanathan Anand, the path-breaker who became a Grandmaster at 18 and outlasted his peers from the teen years to become a legend in his sport.
