In the FIDE World Cup held in Baku, Azerbaijan, the young Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa won a silver medal at the tournament in the final match on Thursday. He was defeated in the final, where world’s No.1 Champion Magnus Carlsen won the tournament with a 1.5-0.5 victory in the tie-break.
This tournament was the first World Cup achievement for Carlsen, after winning the World Championship for the fifth time, World No. 2 champion Hikaru Nakamura and World No. 3 champion Fabiano Caruana was defeated by Praggnanandhaa to reach the FIDE World Cup final match. The 18-year-old boy may have taken the runner-up position in the chess World Cup, but he emerged as a true champion in the hearts and minds of millions of people in the world.
As a result of his performance in the FIDE World Cup Tournament, the chess champion has earned a significant place in the upcoming Candidates tournament 2024, scheduled to take place in Canada. Notably, he now holds the pride of being the third-youngest player to qualify for the Candidates tournament after the legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen.
Former Chess World champion Viswanathan Anand expressed admiration by praising Praggnanandhaa’s remarkable performance at the tournament, Anand offered words of encouragement to the young chess master, suggesting that Praggnanandhaa has the potential to make a triumphant return, possibly securing a Candidates spot and achieving impressive results. “Praggnanandhaa can come back with a Candidates spot and become a wonderful result,” Vishwananthan wrote on X. Cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal, from the sports association, asked the young champ to hold his head high.
Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan expressed his admiration for Praggnanandhaa’s exceptional performance throughout the FIDE World Cup Final. Hrithik Roshan’s message read, “To me, you’re an authentic CHAMPION! Congratulations Praggnanandhaa for shining in the FIDE World Cup Final. Wishing you even greater strength, Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa,” he tweeted.
Well-known Bollywood film producer Atul Kasbekar, who has been recognized for his contributions towards the projects like ‘Neerja,’ “Tumhari Sulu,’ and ‘Looop Lapeta,’ took time to wish Praggnanandhaa’s mother, R Nagalaxmi, who was there to encourage Praggnanandhaa throughout the tournament. He playfully nominated her for the prestigious ‘mum of the year’ title. His message conveyed, “Here’s my nominee for ‘mum of the year,’ and please take note: it’s singular, just one name on the list. A heartfelt thank you, Nagalaxmi Ji, for your continuous support and dedication in shaping a champion sportsman.”
Few Indian film industry celebrities joined X in extending their warm wishes to the chess champion. Director of ‘Baahubali’ and ‘RRR,’ SS Rajamouli, commented on the achievements of the young champion. In his tweet, he highlighted that Praggnanandhaa’s loss to Magnus Carlsen in the final should not be seen as a failure. Instead, Rajamouli emphasized the significant accomplishment of an 18-year-old reaching such heights and wished Praggnanandhaa a prosperous journey towards greater success.
