Dubai: India now has the second youngest chess grandmaster in the world and tweeps were thrilled.
On Twitter, #Grandmaster was a top trend after Chennai’s 12-year-old R. Praggnanandhaa made history.
Tweeps were quick to call the chess prodigy “India’s pride” and the hashtag received more than 9,000 tweets.
Indian chess grandmaster and former World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand congratulated Praggnanandhaa’s on his achievement and posted: “Welcome to the club and congrats Praggnanandhaa!! See [you] soon in Chennai?”
Welcome to the club & congrats Praggnanandhaa!! See u soon in chennai?
— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) June 24, 2018
US sports channel, ESPN’s journalist @ninansusan posted: “…Pragnnandhaa becomes the world’s second youngest and India’s youngest GM. He completed his third norm without having to win a point after being paired with GM Pruijssers Roeland in the final round of the 4th Gredine Open,” Her comment was retweeted by Anand.
At 12 years, 10 months, 13 days, Pragnnandhaa becomes world's second youngest and India's youngest GM. He completed his third norm without having to win a point after being paired with GM Pruijssers Roeland in the final round of the 4th Gredine Open.
— Susan Ninan (@ninansusan) June 23, 2018
Anna Rudolf, @Anna_Chess a Hungarian chess player who holds titles from FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) also congratulated the genius and said: “Praggnanandhaa becomes the second youngest grandmaster in #chess history - at the age of 12 years 10 months and 13 days! Hats off, Champ!!” To become a grandmaster you need to earn three norms or high levels of performances, and a 2500 rating. According to a report by Indian news media NDTV’s online site, Praggnanandhaa had won his first grandmaster norm at the World Junior Championships in Tarvisio, Italy, in November 2017
@ChessbaseIndia, said: “He is not even 13 and he is a grandmaster! The poster boy of Indian chess - R. Praggnanandhaa!” As per their online website, India has 47 grandmaster as of 2017.
He is not even 13 and he is a grandmaster!
— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) June 23, 2018
The poster boy of Indian chess - R. Praggnanandhaa!
Photo: Amruta Mokal pic.twitter.com/5hInt1rwGS
@vinayakkm, an engineer by profession tweeted: “I know there is a massive result [for the] #WorldCup, but it looks India’s Praggnanandhaa (12 years, 10 months old) has become the second youngest grandmaster of all time!
At just 12 years, 10 months and 13 days, Praggnanandhaa missed out on becoming the youngest ever champion by three months, as Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine, bagged the record at 12 years and 7 months in 2002.
