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Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Four tiebreaks, three titles: Story of Praggnanandhaa's barnstorming 2025
India's R Praggnanandhaa fought his way out of tense tiebreaks with two home favourites, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov, to claim the title at the 2nd UzChess Cup tournament in Tashkent on Friday. Remarkably, this is the fourth time in 2025 that Praggnanandhaa has had to duke it out in the tiebreaks at a classical event. He has an incredible conversation rate this year, winning three titles and ending second in the fourth event. As five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand wrote on X: 'Of all his wins this year, this one seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go. However, he defeated Arjun Erigaisi (yesterday) and today in the crucial match defeated Nodirbek Abdussattorov to tie for first place. In an impressive demonstration of character he won his third tiebreak of the year as well. He is deservedly the new number four in the chess world and the highest rated player in India.' Congrats to @rpraggnachess for winning the Uzbekistan chess Cup. Third major classical victory this year. Of all his wins this year, this one seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go@fide_chess(1/3) — Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) June 27, 2025 Tata Steel Chess event: In February, Praggnanandhaa won the first super-elite event of the year at the idyllic Dutch town of Wijk aan Zee after beating Gukesh, who was fresh from being crowned the youngest world champion in history, in a tense tiebreak. It was a cut-throat field of 14 players that included the likes of Fabiano Caruana, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Anish Giri, Pentala Harikrishna, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi and Leon Luke Mendonca among others. Superbet Chess Classic Romania: Praggnanandhaa won his second title of 2025 in May at Romania. The Superbet Chess Classic Romania, which is part of the Grand Chess Tour, saw the Indian teenager emerge victorious after another dramatic playoffs for the title, this time against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja. The 10-player field at Bucharest had players like Gukesh, Fabiano Caruana, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Levon Aronian, Wesley So, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. 6th Stepan Avagyan Memorial tournament: June witnessed a rare second-place finish for Praggnanandhaa at a tournament in 2025, where he ended behind good friend Aravindh Chithambaram. Once again, as has been the theme with Pragg this year, he found himself in a tiebreak after the round robin event ended. Both Pragg and Aravindh, who have trained together under RB Ramesh since childhood, finished with 6.5 points at the event in Jermuk, Armenia. This was a tiebreak that Pragg lost. 2nd UzChess Cup: Competing against another elite field, Praggnanandhaa won his final two games on demand to force his was into a three-way tiebreak along side Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov. There, after six games of three minutes each, Pragg won the title.
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
RB Ramesh explains what led to R Praggnanandhaa's barnstorming 2025: Playing ‘risky' chess, more variety of openings and second coming out of shadows
There will be a new India No. 1 in town when the official chess ratings list comes out in a few days after R Praggnanandhaa snatched victory at the uber-competitive 2nd UzChess Cup in Tashkent. The win came after some drama where the Indian found himself in a Mexican standoff with two Uzbek players from the country's golden generation. Pragg won the title against an elite 10-player Masters field in Tashkent that comprised heavy-hitters like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Arjun Erigaisi, Richard Rapport, Parham Maghsoodloo, and Aravindh Chithambaram besides the Uzbek quartet of Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Yakubboev and Shamsiddin Vokhidov. After nine rounds of classical chess, there were three players locked at the top with 5.5 points each: Pragg, Abdusattorov and Sindarov. Pragg had started the event brightly, but had a mid-event stumble with back-to-back defeats against Maghsoodloo and Rapport (which is a candidate for one of the games of the year). Pragg started Friday needing a victory with black pieces. He did exactly that: delivering a 49-move takedown of Abdusattorov in the classical format to ensure a three-way battle for the title via the faster tiebreaks. In the tiebreaks, each of the three players needed to play six games (three against each opponent) with three minutes on the clock. It was after that mayhem that Praggnanandhaa emerged as the winner. Wrapped up the #UzChessCup Masters with a win in the final round and wins in tie breaks. Tiebreaks were crazy indeed. Grateful for all the support that I have received so far. Onto my next challenge to Croatia. — Praggnanandhaa (@rpraggnachess) June 27, 2025 'Tiebreaks were crazy indeed,' posted Pragg on his X, before adding: 'Onto my next challenge in Croatia.' The UzChess Cup also helped Pragg leap ahead of his compatriots like Arjun, Gukesh and Aravindh in one of the most heavily-contested battles in the sport at the moment: the race to be India's top-ranked player, a position which comes with other perks, like invitations to elite tournaments like Norway Chess. By beating Abdusattorov, Praggnanandhaa now has a live rating of 2778.3, which also propels him to World No. 4. He leaves behind Gukesh (live rating of 2776.6) and Arjun (2775.7). The UzChess Cup marks Praggnanandhaa's third title of the year. He won the extremely-competitive Tata Steel event in Wijk aan Zee (where he overpowered newly-crowned world champion Gukesh in a tense tiebreak) and the Grand Chess Tour's Superbet Chess Classic Romania (where he won a playoff against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja). The year has also seen Pragg finish 2nd at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial tournament behind Aravindh. 'Of all his wins this year, this one seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go. However, he defeated Arjun Erigaisi (yesterday) and today in the crucial match defeated Nodirbek Abdussattorov to tie for first place,' wrote five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand on X. 'In an impressive demonstration of character he won his third tiebreak of the year as well. He is deservedly the new number four in the chess world and the highest rated player in India.' 2025 has seen a different Praggnanandhaa after a quiet 2024 by his standards. The 19-year-old has been coaxed to play a brand of 'risky, more attacking and adventurous chess' by his longtime guru, RB Ramesh. Ramesh pointed at Friday's game against Abdusattorov and said that the approach from Pragg throughout the game was testament to this new mindset while playing chess, which he has adopted this year. 'Pragg is quite good in attack, but he was playing too solid in 2024. At least that was my impression. We discussed this and talked about being more adventurous, which you can see now,' Ramesh told The Indian Express. 'His chess was always quite good. Now he's also been adding new openings and trying a lot more variety of openings in games.' What has also worked for him is his second, Vaibhav Suri, who also aided the Indian team at the Chess Olympiad, emerging from behind the curtain and travelling full-time with Pragg to tournaments, starting from the event in Wijk aan Zee earlier this year. 'Vaibhav has been helping us longer than this year. But we did not want to go public earlier (and reveal his association with Pragg). He has been with us for some time, but only recently he has started accompanying Pragg for tournaments and that has been very helpful,' Ramesh said. 'It's good to have someone you know well, who believes in you, travel with you during important tournaments. When you are going through difficult times, it will be easier to believe in ourselves.' Congratulations @rpraggnachess for winning the UZchess cup 2025 after a tremendous comeback towards the end showing strong character. Amazing job by @vaibhavschess instrumental in Pragg winning many titles this year! And the other unknown gentleman who has been contributing from… — Ramesh RB (@Rameshchess) June 27, 2025 On X, while congratulating Pragg, Ramesh also indicated there was another second operating from the shadows in Pragg's team. 'Amazing job by Vaibhav, (who has been) instrumental in Pragg winning many titles this year! And the other unknown gentleman who has been contributing from behind the scenes,' Ramesh wrote on X. Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
News18
16-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
‘Magnus Carlsen Is Still a Level Above, But We're Closing In'
Last Updated: In an exclusive interview, chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa opens up on chasing Magnus Carlsen, his 2025 success, India's chess boom, and his path to the Candidates Tournament. In the increasingly crowded arena of global chess, R Praggnanandhaa stands out—not just for his youth, but for his quiet confidence and an ever-growing list of achievements that belie his age. The 18-year-old from Chennai has emerged as one of India's brightest stars, steadily carving his place among the elite while carrying the weight of a chess revolution unfolding back home. Fresh off a strong showing at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial in Armenia, where he finished tied on points with compatriot Aravindh Chidambaram, Praggnanandhaa remains unfazed by the thin margins that separate victory from second place. 'I scored +4, which is quite good in this field," he says matter-of-factly. 'In the end, I finished second because of the tiebreak, but I don't really care too much about whether it's first or second. For me, I played well and tried for first place." It's this grounded outlook that seems to fuel his steady ascent. Earlier this year, Praggnanandhaa joined an exclusive club, becoming only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the prestigious Tata Steel Chess tournament. 'Starting the year like that gave me a lot of confidence, especially after having a rough year previously," he reflects. 'That boost was much needed." Responding to Carlsen: Young Stars Are Closing the Gap But even as his personal milestones accumulate, Praggnanandhaa is acutely aware of the larger conversation in world chess, particularly following Magnus Carlsen's recent comments questioning whether anyone is ready to succeed him at the top. 'The older players have more experience for sure," Praggnanandhaa concedes, but he is quick to defend the rising generation. 'We're improving rapidly, and young players are already achieving great results. Maybe we're not completely at their level yet, but we're very close." So far in 2025, Praggnanandhaa has made a conscious shift in his approach. 'I've tried to be more ambitious and fight for that extra half point in every game," he explains. 'This year, I'm scoring more wins compared to last year when I was making too many draws. Now, I'm fighting much more than I used to." With qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament firmly in his sights, Praggnanandhaa's calendar is packed. 'This year is all about qualifying for the Candidates Tournament next year," he says. Upcoming events include the UzChess Cup in Tashkent, the Grand Chess Tour Rapid in Croatia, and the Freestyle tournament in Las Vegas—all in quick succession. 'It's a very tight schedule." Chennai's Chess Factory: Anand's Legacy and Local Competition Amidst this whirlwind, Praggnanandhaa remains both a product and a symbol of India's astonishing chess boom. 'First and foremost is Anand Sir. Without him, chess wouldn't be as big in India," he says with gratitude. 'I started playing when he was world champion, and he's always been someone I look up to." Now, having the opportunity to occasionally discuss chess directly with Anand is, for Praggnanandhaa, 'a great learning experience." India's chess ecosystem, once nascent, is now flourishing thanks to a combination of factors: frequent domestic tournaments, a wealth of academies and coaches, and strong intra-country competition. 'The competition within India itself is very strong, which prepares players well for international events," he explains. 'We have so many underrated players that even foreigners who come to play in Indian open tournaments often find it tough." Financial backing has also played a crucial role in supporting India's young grandmasters. For Praggnanandhaa, corporate support has been game-changing. 'The biggest help is that I can train with more people and have my seconds travel with me to tournaments," he says, crediting Adani [Sportsline] Group for enabling him to set up a professional team. 'All these things—training camps, seconds, and travel—are more expensive than people realize. Having a sponsor like Adani Group takes care of these aspects so I can fully focus on improving my game." Chennai, often dubbed the 'chess capital of India," continues to produce top-level players, and Praggnanandhaa offers a personal anecdote that illustrates how local heroes can inspire the next generation. 'In 2012, when Anand Sir won the world championship match against Gelfand, my school took me to the airport to welcome him. That moment inspired me a lot. Within a month of meeting him, I won the Asian U9 Championship." Family Ties: Crucial Parental and Sibling Support Family too, has been his anchor. His sister Vaishali is herself an accomplished chess player, and the two often exchange ideas despite their busy, often overlapping schedules. 'While I was playing in Armenia, my sister was playing in Norway, but we still managed to talk and share ideas whenever possible," he says with a smile. 'Of course, sometimes I steal her ideas and vice versa." Behind the scenes, the support of his parents remains foundational. 'Their support is everything. Without them, it wouldn't be possible for me to be here," he says. His mother travels with him to tournaments while his father manages things at home. 'Even when I'm away, my parents call me every day to check on me. They've always been there for me," he adds. About the Author Vineet Ramakrishnan Vineet R, an accomplished sports journalist with over 13 years of experience in digital media, currently serves as the Associate Editor - Sports at CricketNext and News18 Sports. With a specialization in More News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Chess India Magnus Carlsen R Praggnanandhaa Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 12, 2025, 12:38 IST News sports R Praggnanandhaa EXCLUSIVE | 'Magnus Carlsen Is Still a Level Above, But We're Closing In'
