Praggnanandhaa defeats world champion Ding Liren, surpasses Viswanathan Anand to become India's No.1 chess player
After defeating World Champion Ding Liren in a fourth-round clash at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee on Tuesday, Praggnanandhaa surpassed five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand to become country’s top-ranked chess player.
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Indian ace chess player Praggnanandhaa defeated reigning World Champion Ding Liren in a fourth-round clash at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee on Tuesday.
Praggnanandhaa expressed his surprise at the outcome, stating, "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."
In 2018, Praggnanandhaa became India's youngest Grandmaster and the world's second-youngest at the age of 12. Known for his exceptional skills and achievements, he is the fifth-youngest person ever to attain the title of Grandmaster.
Meanwhile, in the Masters category of the Tata Steel Chess tournament, Grandmaster Anish Giri emerged as the sole leader heading into the first rest day. Giri's strategic moves and victory over D Gukesh contributed to his commanding position in the tournament.
With this win, Praggnanandhaa surpassed five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand to become country’s top-ranked chess player in the FIDE’s live ratings with a rating of 2748.3, while Anand is at 2748. (FIDE discloses the published ratings at the start of each month).
Praggnanandhaa expressed his surprise at the outcome, stating, "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 started playing at the age of 5, emphasized the significance of defeating a world champion, saying, "The first time winning against a world champion in classical chess feels good."
18-year-old Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa became the No. 1 ranked Indian Chess Grandmaster for the first time in his career.
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) January 17, 2024
He defeated the world champion Ding Liren from China, and surpassed the Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand to claim the top position in India. pic.twitter.com/wiKhi8AKW6
Also Read: Who is R Praggnanandhaa, the new Indian chess prodigy?
In 2018, Praggnanandhaa became India's youngest Grandmaster and the world's second-youngest at the age of 12. Known for his exceptional skills and achievements, he is the fifth-youngest person ever to attain the title of Grandmaster.
Remarkably, his elder sister, R Vaishali, is also a Grandmaster, making them the world's first-ever brother-sister GM duo.
Also Read: Vaishali Rameshbabu becomes India's 3rd female chess grandmaster; creates history with her brother Praggnanandhaa
Meanwhile, in the Masters category of the Tata Steel Chess tournament, Grandmaster Anish Giri emerged as the sole leader heading into the first rest day. Giri's strategic moves and victory over D Gukesh contributed to his commanding position in the tournament.