Indian chess sensation Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu achieved a historic feat, becoming only the second Indian, after Viswanathan Anand, to defeat a reigning world champion. He accomplished this remarkable victory against China’s Ding Liren at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar expressed his admiration for the young chess star.
‘Big cheers to @rpraggnachess for this remarkable triumph against World Champion, Ding Liren. At the young age of 18, you haven’t just dominated the game but also risen to become India’s top-rated player.‘ Sachin wrote on X.
Following this triumph, Praggnanandhaa ascended to the position of India’s new No. 1 chess player, surpassing Viswanathan Anand in FIDE’s live ratings. His rating of 2748.3 slightly exceeded Anand’s 2748. Notably, this victory marked Praggnanandhaa’s second consecutive win over Ding Liren at the same event, with Ding being the world No. 2 player in the previous encounter.
At just 18 years old, the Chennai-born prodigy has made history by claiming the top spot in Indian chess. Praggnanandhaa had previously reached the final of a Chess World Cup, becoming the first Indian since Anand to achieve this feat and securing a spot in the Candidates event, a crucial step toward a World Championship match.
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