Latest news with #45thChessOlympiad
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First Post
15 hours ago
- Sport
- First Post
Challenger to champion: How R Praggnanandhaa learnt to play for victory, not just experience
R Praggnanandhaa emerged as India's leading chess prodigy in 2023 but had a subdued 2024 as world champion D Gukesh took the spotlight. In 2025, however, he's back in form. In an exclusive chat, Praggnanandhaa explains the changes he made to achieve consistent success. read more Before D Gukesh became the youngest chess world champion in 2024, R Praggnanandhaa emerged as India's breakout star in 2023. The then-18-year-old held Magnus Carlsen to two draws in the classical games of the FIDE Chess World Cup . Although he eventually lost to the five-time world champion in the tie-breaks, Praggnanandhaa had already made a significant impact on the global chess stage. Then came 2024. Praggnanandhaa finally secured his first win over Carlsen, the highest-rated chess player of all time, at Norway Chess and also helped India win a historic gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad. But at an individual level, the big trophies were missing. He finished fifth at the Candidates as Gukesh won the tournament at 17 and then went on to beat Ding Liren in December to become the world champion at 18. At the World Rapid Championship, Praggnanandhaa was in joint lead till the penultimate round before a blunder against teenager and eventual winner Volodar Murzin brought everything crashing down for the Indian. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pure ecstasy and brutal agony, all within the span of a few months. Praggnanandhaa stood at a crossroads. Talent wasn't the issue; the challenge was using it to cross the finish line. Something was off. Something had to change. But what, exactly? That's when Praggnanandhaa turned to his most trusted ally in the chess world: his coach, R Ramesh. 'I think Ramesh knows me the best regarding chess. I've been working with Ramesh for the last 11 years,' Praggnanandhaa told Firstpost. 'We had a camp towards the end of the year. We were discussing all these issues in my game. And then we tried to go into details and try to find what is causing those issues and tried to find a solution to it. 'And I think all this work is paying off. In this regard, I think credit should be given to him.' Mental adjustments make Praggnanandhaa a winner But what was the solution? It was something seemingly minor, yet profound enough to be a life lesson. Praggnanandhaa was already beating top players, including Carlsen, but deep down, even he wasn't entirely sure of what he was capable of. In that camp at the end of 2024, Praggnanandhaa realised the fault was not in his game, but in his thinking. You can't beat the best players in the world if you don't think of yourself as the best. Since then, he has been a different player, winning the prestigious Tata Steel Masters at the start of the 2025 by beating Gukesh in a tie-breaker , clinching the Grand Chess Tour Superbet Chess Classic Romania last month and currently leading the FIDE Circuit 2025 standings, which can earn him a spot in the 2026 Candidates. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I think it's mostly about mental changes, like being more confident in my abilities and trying to be more ambitious in games and not backing down against anyone,' Praggnanandhaa said while explaining what has changed in his game from 2024. 'You know, just fight, fight it out till the end. And as I said, I think once you believe in your abilities, you will fight in every game. Sometimes last year, especially in some tournaments, I was not feeling confident. So I think that was lacking. And once you regain that, you can be more ambitious. And I think now I'm more ambitious and fighting in every game.' A big support in his journey has also been his sponsors, who have made travel and training easy for the teenage chess star. 'Chess is expensive, especially when you travel to Europe for a tournament. You need to have trainers to help you during the tournaments. Apart from the tournament as well,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'It's difficult when you prepare for tournaments like the Candidates. This is where the Adani Group, coming in and supporting players, is essential. This happened just before the Candidates, so I could prepare my best. I am also able to train with the best facilities. That's showing in my result. I don't need to worry about anything, just focus on the game and keep improving.' With the key to winning decoded and sponsors onboard, Praggnanandhaa appears to be on the right path — grounded, yet ambitious. The teenager is well aware that Magnus Carlsen and elite players like Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana aren't going anywhere. And the competition is rising back home too, with the likes of D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi. Praggnanandhaa is pleased with the progress he has made, but he knows there's still a long way to go. 'Yeah, I wouldn't really say I've been progressing rapidly,' Praggnanandhaa said. 'There have been some hiccups in between, like last year just didn't go my way. This year has been good for me so far, and I hope to continue that way. If you compare just these six months, then it's been good. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'But if you like, take into account the last year, then I think it's just normal progress and considering our last few months, definitely happy with my games and I want to continue playing this way,' he signed off.
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Top 10 women chess players in India: At No. 1 is the youngest Grandmaster
Top 10 women chess players in India: India has long been a chess powerhouse, producing world-class talent who have made their mark on the global stage. While legends like Viswanathan Anand and rising stars like D Gukesh often steal the spotlight, India's women chess players have been quietly and steadily making their presence felt, both at home and abroad. From prodigies dominating international tournaments to seasoned champions breaking barriers, these women have proven that chess excellence knows no gender. One of the key indicators of a player's prowess is their FIDE rating, which evaluates skill based on consistent performance against ranked the higher a player's rating, the stronger and more consistent their performance is. Here are India's top women chess players, ranked according to FIDE: Source: Forbes Koneru Humpy, born in Gudivada in 1987, showed early promise in chess, guided by her father from age six. By eight, she was winning local tournaments. In 2002, she made history as the youngest female Grandmaster at 15, breaking Judit Polgár's record. Humpy, later, became the second woman to surpass a 2600 Elo rating. Her achievements earned her the prestigious Arjuna Award and Padma Shri. Born in 1991 in Guntur, Harika Dronavalli became a Grandmaster in 2009, showcasing her chess prowess early on. She's a three-time bronze medalist at the Women's World Championship (2012, 2015, 2017) and won the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in 2016. She is the second Indian woman to cross the 2600 Elo mark and has received both the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri for her achievements. Born in 2001, Vaishali Rameshbabu earned the Grandmaster title in 2024. Alongside her brother Praggnanandhaa, they made history as the first sibling duo to both become Grandmasters and qualify for the prestigious Candidates Tournament. Divya Deshmukh, a rising star in Indian chess, earned the International Master title in 2023. One of her major achievements came in 2024 when she clinched the title at the FIDE World Junior Girls Chess Championship. She also played a key role in India's gold medal victory at the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad, further cementing her status as a promising young talent. Tania Sachdev is a renowned Indian chess player who holds the titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. She reached her peak FIDE rating of 2443 in September 2013. A key member of the Indian team, she contributed to their gold medal win at the 45th Chess Olympiad, hosted by the International Chess Federation in Budapest. Vantika Agrawal, born in September 2002, holds the FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and International Master (IM). She has three gold medals at the Chess Olympiad, and two golds at the 45th Chess Olympiad in 2024. Agrawal also secured a silver medal with the Indian Team at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. Her accolades extend to medals in Commonwealth, World Youth, Asian Youth, and National Championships. In recognition of her outstanding achievements, she was recently awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award. P V Nandhidhaa from Tamil Nadu, born on April 10, 1996, holds the FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and Woman International Master (WIM), making her the 17th Woman Grandmaster of India. She has achieved significant success in her career, including winning an individual Gold in the Asian Chess Championship in 2022 and becoming the reigning National Women Chess Champion in 2024. She has also secured medals in Commonwealth and Asian-level tournaments across various age categories. Her peak FIDE Elo rating is 2380, and she continues to compete at a high level. Padmini Rout, born on January 5, 1994, holds the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). Rout has won the National Women's Premier Championship five times and was the Asian Women's Champion in 2018. She also earned an individual gold medal at the 2014 Women's Chess Olympiad. Born in 1992, Bhakti Kulkarni holds the prestigious FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster (2012) and International Master (2019). A recipient of the Arjuna Award for her significant contributions to chess, Kulkarni has achieved notable successes, including winning the Asian Women's Chess Championship and representing India in various international tournaments. Rakshitta Ravi, born on April 24, 2005, holds the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM), which she achieved in April 2023. Her parents, T S Ravi and Sai Meera Ravi, are both titled chess players. Rakshitta earned her Woman International Master (WIM) title at 13 and her WGM title at 17, making her India's 24th Woman Grandmaster.
