Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa: An Inspiration for Youth

A 17-year-old Indian kid took the chess world by storm when he outsmarted the reigning multi-time world champion Magnus Carlsen at the Airthings Masters Chess Tournament 2022. Praggnanandhaa, popularly known as Pragg, is an Indian chess prodigy and grandmaster who has been making history ever since he placed his hand on a chessboard.

Born Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa on 10 August 2005 in Chennai, he is the son of Rameshbabu, a bank employee, and Nagalakshmi, a homemaker. Pragg’s interest in chess was sparked when his parents were trying to get his sister (Vaishali) away from the TV by luring her to play chess. The three-year-old boy was slowly hooked onto the game, and Vaishali began to teach him the moves. Soon, the duo took up chess seriously and started competing.

At an age when most kids are classified as toddlers, Pragg made chess his life’s calling, picking up the nuances of the game. Realising their son’s passion, his family enrolled him in a chess academy. Soon, setting records in chess became second nature for him.

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