Pragyananda, a 16-year-old boy, has the whole world looking back at Tamil Nadu. He defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the Earthing’s Masters Online Rapid Chess Tournament. Pragyananda holds the record for the most number of 16 players in a Rapid Format e-chess tournament. The match with the same Magnus Carlsen at last year’s Chess Classic Race ended in a draw. Carlsen marveled at the boy’s confidence in his ability to compete with him. He has now congratulated and blessed Pragyananda who has defeated himself. Magnus Carlsen is no ordinary athlete. Pragyananda’s success can be seen from the fact that the Indian players who beat him earlier were former world champion Viswanathan Anand and Grandmaster Benthala Harikrishna. The world was amazed to see that Pragyananda had put so much pressure on Carlsen, who was beating his rivals, with his calm attitude without tension. The 16-year-old boy from Chennai, the Grand Master of India, subjected Magnus Carlsen to the embarrassment of not being able to move the pieces anywhere. On the 39th move, Carlsen stretched out his arms and conceded defeat. The pride of defeating his protagonist and the unbelievable surprise of himself stunned Pragyananda. In 2016, at the age of 10, Pragyananda became the youngest person in the world to win an international master’s degree in chess. Chess experts recognized that he qualified as an international player from the start. During the two-year plague epidemic, Pragyananda’s self-esteem plummeted. The coach noted that the boy’s reluctance to participate in chess tournaments and international races was a cause for concern. Pragyananda’s victory over Carlsen in the Earthing’s Masters match at the right time was the biggest motivation for him. Chess is not new to India. It has been played in palaces and on the streets since time immemorial. Later, when the game of chess was introduced in the upper class style, it was not difficult for the Indians to master it. India has been making a mark in international competitions for the last 60 years. In 1961, Manuel Aaron became India’s first international master. Twenty-six years later, in 1987, Viswanathan Anand, under the age of 18, became India’s first Grand Master. Viswanathan Anand became India’s first world champion in 2000. Anand is a five-time world champion and a one-time Olympic chess champion alongside Russia. Following in the footsteps of Anand, many boys and youngsters are now achieving success in the game of chess. Apart from Pragyananda, Divya Deshmukh, Nickel Sharin, Vaishali, Benthala Harikrishna, Vidheet Gujarati, Koneru Hampi, Harika and many others are hoisting the Indian flag internationally in chess. The forerunner of all this and the guide to these youth could not help but record Viswanathan Anand. Following Viswanathan Ananda’s first Grand Master in 1987, the number of Indian Grand Masters is now 73. Pragyananda is ranked 16th among Indian athletes and 193rd in the world. There is no doubt that his future will be bright when Pragyananda, who is considered to be the most talented of today’s teenage Indian chess players, is now under the guidance of Viswanathan Anand. The time is not far off when Pragyananda will feature in the ranks of Viswanathan Anand, Anatoly Karpov, Gary Gasparov and Magnus Carlsen, who continue to compete in international tournaments. The growth and success of Pragyananda gives us some news. Opportunities are not provided in government schools as students in private schools in Tamil Nadu are encouraged to play chess. Future Viswanathan Anandas and Pragyanandas can be identified by imparting the game of chess at the primary school level. Tamil Nadu could rise to be the epicenter of the Grand Masters if they were given the encouragement and government support they needed from the beginning!
