Teenage Grandmaster from India R Praggnanandhaa upset world champion Magnus Carlsen in an online rapid chess competition at the eighth round of the ongoing Airthings Masters.
Praggnanandhaa nicknamed Pragg became the youngest international master in history at age 10 in 2016.
Carlsen had three wins in a row before meeting with the Indian prodigy and Pragg was on a losing streak. But the calm and collected teenage boy won over the experienced and decorated Carlsen.
Others have beaten Carlsen – including Indians Viswanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna – but Praggnanandhaa is the youngest since the Norwegian became world champion in 2013.
Tweets praising Praggnanandhaa after his first win in any form of chess against the Norwegian champion. Five-time world champion Vishwanathan Anand tweeted that he was “always proud of our talents,”
Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar congratulated “What a wonderful feeling it must be for Pragg. All of 16, and to have beaten the experienced & decorated Magnus Carlsen, and that too while playing black, is magical!”
Carlsen, 31, appeared to blunder in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event for a total prize pool of more than $1.5m.
Carlsen dropped down to fifth – up from 11th on the leaderboard by this defeat.
On Monday, Carlsen had said he was still feeling the after-effects of a recent coronavirus infection.
“His results in the past six months has swung between extremes,” Praggnanandhaa’s coach RB Ramesh was quoted as saying on ESPN.
“The fluctuation can be worrying and needs to be stabilised. This win against Magnus is important. Beating one of the strongest players in chess history is a huge moment for him.”
