R Praggnanandhaa Takes Down World Champion Ding Liren, Claims Title of India’s Top Chess Player

The Master’s group saw Anish Giri emerge as the sole leader after his impressive endgame prowess secured victory against D Gukesh.

Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has reached a historic milestone in his chess career by becoming the top-ranked men’s chess player in India, surpassing the seasoned Viswanathan Anand. This achievement came after Praggnanandhaa secured a notable victory against China’s Ding Liren, the reigning world champion, in the 4th round of the Tata Steel Masters tournament held on Wednesday.

Concurrently, Anish Giri emerged as the sole leader in the Masters Group as the tournament headed into its first rest day.

Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, expressed his praise for Praggnanandhaa, who recently received support from the Adani Group, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to backing athletes in their pursuit of excellence. Adani commented, ‘We are extremely proud to support the dynamic Praggnanandhaa. The speed and efficiency with which he has progressed in the sport is nothing short of remarkable, and truly an example to all Indians.’

Praggnanandhaa, who views representing the nation and achieving success at the highest levels as a noble pursuit, expressed gratitude for the Adani Group’s trust in his abilities. He shared, ‘I am extremely keen on ensuring that my country does well on the global stage. Whenever I play, my sole aim is to win more laurels for the nation. I would like to thank the Adani Group for putting their trust in my abilities.’

The young chess prodigy made headlines in 2023 as the world’s youngest chess player to reach the World Cup final and the second Indian, following Viswanathan Anand, to achieve this feat. In 2022, Praggnanandhaa garnered attention in the chess world by defeating Magnus Carlsen multiple times. Hailing from Chennai, the math enthusiast and soft-spoken teenager also secured a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.