Latest news with #R.Praggnanandhaa
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Chola Chess launched in Chennai
After he won the Uzchess Cup Masters by the end of last month, R. Praggnanandhaa became the World No. 4 (Elo 2779) in the live ratings and is consequently the highest-ranked Indian now. It was his third title of the year, after wins at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee and the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest. The latter was his maiden Grand Chess Tour (GCT) title. 'This year has been good for me so far. And I hope it continues. We (him and his coach R.B. Ramesh) made some changes in my game, for sure. I think that's showing the results. Last year, things didn't go my way. Ramesh and I, we were working, trying to find things to change. And we made some changes. I think those were critical,' said the 19-year-old at the launch of Chola Chess, a CSR initiative from the Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited, in collaboration with Chess Gurukul, on Wednesday. Praggnanandhaa, who's atop the FIDE Circuit leaderboard now, was wary that the other players might catch up and stressed the importance of finishing as the leader to qualify for the Candidates. 'So, he was joint-first in four tournaments, out of which he didn't win one. He won the other three. But joint-first in four is already a great start. He's having a sensational year overall. I think, for him, this year is a reaction to missing out on (winning) the Candidates last year. He's got that extra motivation,' said Indian chess legend and five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand. When asked about World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen's recent jibes at reigning World champion D. Gukesh, Anand said: 'They come with the territory. You cannot expect to be World champion and say people will just be nice to me. You have to just face that.'
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
World Champion D Gukesh clinches rapid crown at Grand Chess Tour 2025 Zagreb
World Chess Champion D Gukesh (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak) Indian chess prodigy D. Gukesh secured the rapid title at the Grand Chess Tour 2025 Rapid & Blitz tournament in Zagreb, Croatia on Friday, July 4, 2025. The 19-year-old reigning World Champion demonstrated remarkable resilience by bouncing back from an initial loss to clinch five consecutive victories, including a notable win against Magnus Carlsen , ultimately accumulating 14 points to claim the top position. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda finished in second place with 11 points, while former world champion Magnus Carlsen secured third position with 10 points. The tournament witnessed another Indian participant, R. Praggnanandhaa , who shared fourth place with Fabiano Caruana, both scoring nine points. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ukraine: New Container Houses (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search Ads Undo Gukesh's path to victory included strategic draws in the seventh and eighth rounds against Anish Giri and Ivan Saric respectively. He sealed his triumph with a victory over Wesley So in the final round of the rapid section. Quiz: Who's that IPL player? The Zagreb tournament represents the third event in the Grand Chess Tour 2025 calendar, following the completion of tournaments in Poland and Romania during April and May. The competition structure continues with the blitz section scheduled for July 5 and 6, where players will compete for the overall title based on combined points from both rapid and blitz sections. Poll Which aspect of Gukesh's game do you admire the most? Consistency in performance Ability to defeat top players Resilience after losses Strategic thinking R. Praggnanandhaa has already established his presence in the Grand Chess Tour 2025 circuit with a victory in Bucharest, Romania, and a third-place finish in Warsaw, Poland. These performances highlight the strong representation of Indian chess players in international competitions. The Grand Chess Tour 2025 calendar includes two upcoming tournaments in the United States scheduled for August. The final tournament of the series will take place in Brazil from September to October, featuring an expanded format that encompasses classic, rapid, and blitz sections. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Praggnanandhaa: This is one of the best phases of my career
The India No. 1 in chess ranking is kind of a musical chair now. It shows how strongly the young Indians have been faring at the highest level. The latest occupant of the hot seat is R. Praggnanandhaa, who is ranked World No. 4 in the latest FIDE rating list released by FIDE on Tuesday. Arjun Erigaisi and D. Gukesh are placed No. 5 and 6, respectively. The 19-year-old from Chennai isn't concerned much about the ranking. He is pretty happy, though, with the kind of chess he has been playing over the last few months. He has won three significant titles, including the prestigious Wijk aan Zee (Tata Steel) this year. I have always dreamt of winning a GCT event, Winning the #SuperbetChessClassic is indeed dream come true. I'm grateful to my coach, team, family, and supporters for their unwavering belief in me. — Praggnanandhaa (@rpraggnachess) May 17, 2025 'Winning Wijk aan Zee meant a lot to me as it is an 87-year-old tournament, which was won in the past by several World champions,' Praggnanandhaa told The Hindu over phone from Zagreb, where he would be playing the third leg of the Grand Chess Tour. 'It was also nice winning the Superbet Chess Classic in Romania and the UzChess Cup in Tashkent just a couple of days ago.' He admits this has been one of the best phases of his career. 'I have tried to change a few things about my chess, which has worked,' he said. 'I am much more confident, and I push myself in those critical games.' Praggnanandhaa is glad that the young Indians, apart from the top three, have been doing well of late. 'Aravindh Chithambaram is playing great chess,' he said. 'And Nihal Sarin has had good results in the classical formats of late. Our achievements, like Gukesh's World title and Arujun breaking the 2800 Elo barrier, motivate each other.' Before chess conquered the world, it was born in India. For centuries, India has shaped the game. Now, it shapes the future. Praggnanandhaa R. carries that legacy forward — and today, he joins ours. Welcome to Team Liquid. The future of chess starts here. 💙🇮🇳 Pragg உன்னை… — Team Liquid (@TeamLiquid) June 28, 2025 He is looking forward to the Esports World Cup, in which he will play for Team Liquid, alongside World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. 'It is nice that chess is becoming part of Esports,' he said.
News18
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Praggnanandhaa On Carlsen's Viral 'Big Bang' Reaction: 'I've Done It Sometimes'
Last Updated: R. Praggnanandhaa said Magnus Carlsen's viral reaction after losing to Gukesh Dommaraju was instinctive but not ideal. Teenage Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa opened up on the recent controversy surrounding Magnus Carlsen's reaction after losing to Gukesh Dommaraju. Nothing could be more dramatic in modern chess than Carlsen pounding his fist on the table after losing to Gukesh at the elite Norway Chess tournament recently. The incident quickly went viral on social media across various time zones. When asked if the reaction was beneficial for popularising the game or if FIDE should set boundaries, Praggnanandhaa remarked that he might have reacted similarly, but it became such a sensation because Carlsen is a notable figure. 'Yes, it was an instinctive reaction. I think it does happen to players. I've done it sometimes, but rarely. 'I mean, it's (me hitting the table) not as powerful as Magnus because he's a strong guy, but Gukesh has done it and many others. It's just an instinctive reaction because you're so focused that it just comes out. 'But, I mean, is it a good thing? Maybe not. I don't think so because I guess it's not good. (Having said that), I think so many people got to know that something like this happened and it became such a big thing on the internet. 'And, I think it's good for the game in a way because a lot of people got to know that there was such a tournament going on and that such a dramatic game happened. 'So, I think there are some good things and bad things, but I think overall, chess is growing. That's what matters." With a nine-year-old coming close to beating him in an online game, it seems that competition is intensifying. 'I think Magnus is still the best player in the world. And I don't think there is any question about it. Whenever he plays a tournament, he is the favourite. He has been proving that he is still the best by winning every tournament. 'For me, personally, I take a lot of inspiration from him, the way he plays. 'For example, he won 9 out of 9 (games) in Grand Slam Freestyle Tournament, which I don't think anyone can do except Magnus. So, yeah, it's just brilliant."
United News of India
28-06-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
Praggnanandhaa wins UzChess Cup Masters 2025, becomes India's No 1 ranked player
Tashkent (Uzbekistan), June 28(UNI) Grand Master R. Praggnanandhaa has emerged as India's number one ranked Chess player after his victory in the UzChess Cup Masters 2025. 19 year old Praggnanandhaa secured a win against Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the final match to bag the title on Friday. As a result of this win, Praggnanandhaa, with a live elo rating of 2778.3, rose three positions to move past reigning classical chess world champion D. Gukesh (2776.6) to become the top-ranked Indian player. Praggnanandhaa is now also the World No. 4 ranked player. UNI RKM
