“Praggnanandhaa is the runner-up of the 2023 FIDE World Cup! Congratulations to the 18-year-old Indian prodigy on an impressive tournament! On his way to the final, Praggnanandhaa beat, among others, world #2 Hikaru Nakamura and #3 Fabiano Caruana! By winning the silver medal, Praggnanandhaa also secured a ticket to the FIDE Candidates,” the “International Chess Federation tweeted.

The 18-year-old also became the third youngest player – after the legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen – to qualify for the Candidates 2024 tournament.

The 18-year old wonderboy has long been seen as a possible successor to the five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and remains firmly on the path to chess greatness. He is the only Indian player after Anand to book a spot in the Candidates and had the previously beaten Carlsen in an online tournament last year.

Praggnanandhaa has been in the spotlight since he made waves at a young age. He won the national under-7 title to lay down the marker and has been on the rise ever since. He became an International Master at the age of 10, and two years later, he became a GM. Iin 2019 he achieved a ELO rating of 2600 at 14 years and three months and looked to be on the overdrive. 

Family support, especially from his mother, has been a great factor in his evolution as a player. His mother Nagalakshmi is a constant at tournaments that he plays and he seems to feed off her valuable presence.

(With inputs from agencies)

Updated: 24 Aug 2023, 05:52 PM IST