Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa defeated world No. 1 and reigning five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the eighth round of the Airthings Masters online rapid chess competition on Monday morning.
In a Tarrasch variation, Praggnanandhaa won with black pieces in 39 moves, ending Carlsen’s three-game winning streak.
After Viswanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna, the 16-year-old Grandmaster from Chennai is only the third Indian to defeat the Norwegian.
Praggnanandhaa fondly known as Pragg is one of chess’s brightest young stars, and he’s been tipped for big things since he was a child.
At the age of ten, he became the youngest international master in history, and many people believed he will be a title challenger in the future.
Several well-known compatriots praised his spectacular triumph over Carlsen.
Five-time world champion Anand tweeted that he was “always proud of our talents,” also saying that it was a “very good day” for Pragg.
“What a wonderful feeling it must be for Pragg. All of 16, and to have beaten the experienced & decorated Magnus Carlsen, and that too while playing black, is magical!” wrote cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
With the historic win, Pragg became the youngest player to beat Carlsen since he became World Champion in 2013.
Pragg currently sits 14th on 8 points with a battle ahead to reach the knockout stage of the Airthings Masters.
In Round 9 he will face another teen prodigy, Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
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