When Viswanathan Anand labelled R Praggnanandhaa a “new star”
Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand, the first Grandmaster from the country, turns 54 on Monday, 11 December
On the special occasion, we revisit the chess icon’s recent comments on breakout star R Praggnanandhaa
Praggnanandhaa recently became only second Indian after Anand to reach the Chess World Cup final, as well as the youngest overall
Praggnanandhaa would eventually lose the final against Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, but would book his place in the 2024 Candidates Tournament with a runner-up finish regardless
“I believe that we are seeing a new star and he has a very bright future,” is how Anand described Praggnanandhaa speaking to NDTV
Besides becoming India’s first Grandmaster in 1988 as well as a five-time FIDE world champion, Anand had also been India’s No 1 chess player for 36 years until being toppled recently by D Gukesh