India’s Golden Generation chess champion, Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, considers his victory at the prestigious Norway Chess tournament as one of the defining moments of his career. In one of the most elite and demanding events in the chess world, the Tamil Nadu Grandmaster clinched the title late last night, finishing with an impressive 18 points.
During the tournament, Praggnanandhaa left the chess world awestruck by defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen twice. Speaking exclusively to NDTV from the Norwegian capital, Oslo, he opened up about his historic win, his sleep schedule, his upcoming celebrations, and the immense role his support system played in his success.
Q: Pragga, you have not only won an elite tournament like Norway Chess, but you also defeated World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen twice in the same event. It is a phenomenal achievement. Many congratulations!
R Praggnanandhaa: Thank you. Defeating Magnus Carlsen is always a massive deal for me. I had always wanted to win a tournament in which Magnus was also playing. Beating him in the tournament gave me a huge confidence boost, which helped me immensely as the event progressed. I am incredibly happy to have won this tournament. Winning here is a milestone for me.
Q: The past year had not been particularly great for you. Did you do anything differently in your preparation for this tournament or specifically for Magnus?
R Praggnanandhaa: I did not do anything differently for this tournament. I arrived here straight after playing chess in Bucharest, so there was not much time for extensive preparation. However, my team and my coaches worked meticulously on the finer details. We analysed our opponents thoroughly. My team and I simply trusted a set process and stuck to it.
Q: How did you keep yourself physically and mentally fresh during such an intense tournament? I was speaking to your coach, Vaibhav Suri, and he mentioned that you used to tease him by calling him ‘Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’…
R Praggnanandhaa: (Smiles) No, I do not tease him. I was simply telling him that whenever I search for ‘Vaibhav Suri’ on Google, ‘Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’ pops up instead!
Vaibhav Suryavanshi is an incredible cricketer. I actually watched his debut match in the IPL last year. He hit a top bowler (Shardul Thakur) for a six off his very first ball, which was unbelievable. Now, he has been selected for the Indian national team. He plays with immense confidence and is a fantastic player.
Q: Tell us about your support system. Did you receive any help during this tournament from your sister, Grandmaster Vaishali?
R Praggnanandhaa: First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to my family. When there is an athlete in the family, parents have to make countless sacrifices. In our family, both my sister Vaishali and I play chess. Along with them, my coach Ramesh sir, Vaibhav Suri sir, my entire team, and my friends have supported me tremendously.
I also want to extend a very special thank you to Mr Gautam Adani. He has been an unwavering pillar of support. He has ensured that we never face any hardships. The Adani family is like my own family; they never pressure me with questions and have always been a constant source of strength. I am deeply grateful to them.
Q: You, D Gukesh, Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh-so many exceptional Indian players are consistently dominating the global stage. Can we say that this ‘Golden Generation’ has established India’s supremacy in the chess world?
R Praggnanandhaa: Absolutely. This is indeed our Golden Generation. We won the gold medal at the Olympiad, where all the top, qualified teams in the world compete. To have so many Indian players performing exceptionally well at the same time is wonderful. A lot of players mentored by Viswanathan Anand sir are consistently competing and winning at the very highest level.
Q: How did you celebrate your victory, and what is the next dream you want to achieve?
R Praggnanandhaa: To be completely honest, I haven’t even had the chance to get a proper night’s sleep yet! I have been surrounded by fans since yesterday. Right now, I just want to go home and sleep. Once I get some rest, I will celebrate. Looking ahead, my goal is to continue winning these major tournaments consistently.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)