- Ramesh Praggnanandhaa became only the third Indian to beat the world champion, Magnus Carlsen
- Ramesh is a child prodigy as he has bagged numerous world records even before crossing his teenage years
- He is unmoved by external glamour attached which comes after his victories, which make people believe him as the next big thing after Vishwanathan Anand.
Chess was invented in India, but apart from some exceptions, India has rarely ruled over this sport. Instead, other than Vishwanathan Anand, no player has been a world-beater for a very long time. Things are now taking a positive turn with Ramesh Praggnanandhaa beating the world champion who is doubly experienced than him.
Born into a family having a legacy of Chess players
On Sunday, 20 February 2022, Ramesh Praggnanandhaa fulfilled his dream of beating world champion, Magnus Carlsen. He achieved this feat in the online Airthings Masters rapid tournament of the Champions Chess Tour 2022. Ramesh became the only third Indian after Vishwanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna beat the best chess players.
Though it came off as a surprise for people not following chess, Ramesh is not a new name in the checkerboard game. Ramesh was born on 10th August 2005 in the capital city of Tamil Nadu. Right from his childhood, Ramesh was blessed with a chess friendly environment at home. He is the younger sibling of Vaishali Rameshbabu, a woman grandmaster herself.
A child prodigy
Ramesh’s first taste of success came at the age when most children are learning basic arithmetics and languages. In 2013, he emerged victorious in the Under-8 division of the World Youth Chess Championship. This victory helped him earn the FIDE master title at the age of 7. FIDE master title is the third-highest title a player can achieve, coming only after the grandmaster and international master titles.
Ramesh did not get complacent and after rigorous training, he participated in the Under-10 division of the 2015 World Youth Chess Championship as well. His brilliance was no match for his competitors, and he sailed the tournament flawlessly, emerging as champion. A year later, at the age of 10 years, Ramesh became the youngest international master in history.
Ramesh was now just one step away from becoming a Grand Master, the prized title which would enable him to compete with the big boys of the game. To become a Grandmaster (GM), Ramesh now needed just three Grandmaster norms (GN).
Second Youngest GM in history
His first GN came in November 2017, when he finished fourth at the World Junior Chess Championship. 5 months later, Ramesh achieved his second norm at the Heraklion Fischer Memorial GM Norm tournament in Greece. In June 2018, Ramesh bagged his third GN at the Gredine Open in Urtijëi, Italy. With his third norm, he became the second-youngest person in history to become a GM.
When Ramesh became GM, he was 12 years old. Later, Abhimanyu Mishra, an Indian origin American Abhimanyu Mishra broke Karjakin’s record by becoming GM at the age of 12 years.
Second youngest to achieve 2600 ratings
Only the sky is the limit for someone who has a total commitment to his passion. Ramesh proved this when in October 2019, he became the second-youngest player in history to achieve a rating of 2600 at the age of 14 years. This came on the back of Ramesh winning the World Youth Championships in the Under-18 section with a score of 9/11.
Ramesh spent the next two years ploying his skills in tournaments after tournaments. He won many and lost some. These mixed results were the testing ground for Ramesh, as he was not accustomed to failure. But Ramesh remained incredibly stoic in his approach and kept learning.
Magnus Carlsen is his ideal
Ramesh always considers Magnus as his ideal. Even after becoming the second-youngest GM, Ramesh had said that beating Carlsen is his dream. When asked about what he finds laudable in Carlsen, Ramesh had said, “He (Carlsen) has a solution for even the most complicated problem,”
His first competitive game against Carlsen came in Meltwater Champions Chess Tour in April 2021. Ramesh was able to secure a draw against the Norwegian maestro. 10 months later, Ramesh accomplished his dream of beating Magnus.
With one stroke of genius, Ramesh became a superstar of Indian chess and people from all walks of life including cricket, politics, entertainment as well as his fraternity lined up to congratulate him.
Ramesh is unmoved by all these adulations and yesterday he beat two more players in the tournament after beating Carlsen. India is vouching for the second Vishwanathan Anand, but Ramesh is on his way to becoming the one and only Ramesh Praggnanandhaa.