GUWAHATI: Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has made history by becoming India’s top-ranked chess player for the first time in his career, overtaking veteran Viswanathan Anand. This milestone was achieved at the Tata Steel Masters tournament on January 16, where Praggnanandhaa defeated the current world champion Ding Liren of China in the fourth round.
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur congratulated him through X, saying, "Board brilliance at its finest! R Praggnanandhaa checkmates the World Champion, claiming the title of India's top-ranked chess player. Cheers to chess maestro Praggnanandhaa on this grandmaster win!”
Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar also took to X to congratulate Praggnanandhaa. "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. Best wishes for your upcoming challenges. Continue to bring glory to India on the international stage in chess," the master blaster posted about the 18-year-old prodigy.
Praggnanandhaa sealed the win in 62 moves and became only the second Indian after Anand to defeat a reigning world champion in classical chess. In 2018, he had become India’s youngest grandmaster at the age of 12 and even defeated World No.1 Magnus Carlson in an elite rapid chess tournament online in 2022.