Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa just became the youngest chess player ever to beat world champion Magnus Carlsen. At 16 years old, Praggnanandhaa, or Pragg for short, is already a grandmaster himself. He beat Carlsen in an online tournament that had featured 16 other elite players.
The defeat continues Carlsen’s not-so-stellar performance in the “Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2022” tournament. The chess master had contracted COVID-19 right before the tournament, which he said affected his focus. He had begun doing better prior to his match with Pragg, notching three wins. Alas, the young Indian chess prodigy outwitted him - his first victory after three straight losses.
Asked how he was going to celebrate the historic win, Pragg - who had to play in the late hour of the night due to time difference - simply said he planned to just go to bed.
Image: MyGovIndia/Twitter
Here's what Magnus Carlsen said about Pragg: