R Praggnanandhaa, the prodigious teen chess sensation, has secured his spot in the Candidates 2024, marking a pivotal milestone in his budding chess career. This development was met with immense pride and joy by his mother, R Nagalakshmi, who has been instrumental in fostering his talent.
The Candidates is the ultimate stage to discern who will challenge the reigning world chess champion. Praggnanandhaa's impressive streak in the FIDE World Cup in Baku was halted by the world's top-ranked player, Magnus Carlsen. Despite this, his participation culminated in a historic achievement; he became the youngest Indian, after the legendary Viswanathan Anand, to grace the FIDE World Cup final.
Reflecting on her son's monumental journey, Nagalakshmi shared, "It fills our hearts with immense happiness to see how far he's come in the tournament. What's even more exhilarating is witnessing him secure his place for the Candidates 2024." She further revealed that Praggnanandhaa would soon depart for Germany and is expected to touch down in India by the end of August.
A candid moment of Nagalakshmi, deeply engrossed in one of her son's crucial matches, recently gained traction on social media. Commenting on the unexpected attention, she said, "During the World Cup quarterfinals against our very own Arjun Erigaisi, I was wholly immersed in contemplating Praggnanandhaa's game strategy. I was taken aback to discover that those candid shots had made rounds online."
In a thrilling quarterfinal, Praggnanandhaa staged a gripping comeback to triumph 5-4 over Erigaisi. This set the stage for a semi-final clash with the globally acclaimed Italian-American Grandmaster, Fabiano Caruana. Recollecting that intense match, Nagalakshmi remarked, "It swelled my heart with pride to see him clinch that challenging quarterfinal."
Adding a cherry on top, the family was pleasantly surprised with a congratulatory call from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin. An emotional Nagalakshmi recollected, "Receiving a call from the Chief Minister was truly a heartening moment. Despite the late hour, he took the time to extend his best wishes to Pragg. It was heartwarming to learn that even he was ardently following the game from Chennai."
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