Praggnanandhaa raising hopes of the nation

18-year-old Praggnanandhaa was not able to win against Magnus Carlsen in the final of the FIDE Chess World Cup held in Baku, Azerbaijan. However, Praggnanandhaa became the runner-up after putting up a brave fight making millions of Indians proud. This 'boy' from Tamil Nadu did not simply surrender against Carlsen, who is among the best fighters of all time in world chess. After drawing Carlsen in both games in the classical format, Praggnanandhaa conceded defeat in a two-round rapid match in the tiebreaker.

Failure is said to be the stepping stone to success. Praggnanandha's rise proves that he is the hope of the future in world chess. Praggnanandha, the son of an ordinary banker in Chennai, is on his way to the top of the world. Praggnanandha had created history as the youngest International Master at the age of 10 and the second youngest Grandmaster at the age of 12. Carlsen, who had once publicly said that he would no longer compete in the World Chess Championship as he had no opponent, was forced to say that Praggnanandha was not an easy opponent to face.

Praggnanandhaa reached the final after defeating American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura in the pre-quarters, teammate Arjun Erigaisi in the quarter, and world third-ranked American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana in the semi-final. It is his confidence to face the players who are ahead of him in ranking and rating without any hesitation that makes Praggnanandhaa the champion of the future.

Upon becoming the runner-up in the World Cup, Praggnanandhaa has qualified to participate in the 2024 Candidates Championship. Praggnanandhaa, who turned 18 during this World Cup, is the third youngest to qualify for the Candidates Championship.

Praggnanandhaa is the first Indian to play in the World Cup final after Vishwanathan Anand. Anand became world champion twice. But that was before changing the format of the World Cup to knockout. Praggnanandhaa is the first Indian to play in the final in the current format. Simplicity is the hallmark of Praggnanandhaa. As father Ramesh Babu is unable to travel with his son to matches due to polio, it is Praggnanandhaa's mother Nagalakshmi always accompanies him. The foundation of Praggnanandhaa's extraordinary successes is the love and care of that ordinary mother who supports her son's successes on the world stage. The support given by a legend like Viswanathan Anand is also behind Praggnanandhaa's victories. The days when Praggnanandhaa will rule the chess world as Anand's successor are not far away. Here is wishing Praggnanandhaa all the best to bounce back from this defeat to big wins.