At just 20 years old, R Praggnanandhaa has solidified his position as one of the leading figures in chess. His historic victory in Osla propelled him five spots higher to 11th position in the live chess rankings.
Praggnanandhaa defeated Vincent Keymer in the final round to claim his first-ever Norway Chess title and become the first-ever Indian to do so. This achievement is particularly notable, given that even Indian GMs like Viswanathan Anand and defending world champion D Gukesh have been unable to win the title since its inception in 2013.
Praggnanandhaa's title is also a testament to his growing reputation as one of the best in the world. Despite failing to qualify for the Candidates this year, he has proven his mettle at Norway Chess, particularly against top players like Magnus Carlsen.
Praggnanandhaa's journey to the top began when he won the World Youth Chess C'ship Under-8 title in 2013, earning him the FIDE Master title. He went on to win the under-10 title in 2015 and became the youngest international master in history at the age of 10 years, 10 months, and 19 days in 2016.
He achieved his first GM norm at the World Junior Chess C'ship in 2017 and registered his second norm in 2018 at the Heraklion Fischer Memorial GM norm tournament. He secured his third and final norm at the Gredine Open by beating Luca Moroni in the eighth round, becoming the second-youngest person to ever earn the rank of GM at 12 years, 10 months, and 13 days.
Praggnanandhaa's recent achievements include becoming the youngest-ever player to reach the final of the 2023 World Cup, beating Fabiano Caruana in tie-breaks in the semifinal. He also qualified for the 2026 Candidates and won prestigious tournaments like the Tata Steel Chess Masters and the Superbet Chess Classic Romania.
