R Praggnanandhaa

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (born 10 August 2005) is an Indian chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, he placed second in the 2023 Chess World Cup, and won the 2025 FIDE Circuit. He was part of the Indian team that won the silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games in the men's team competition, and the gold medal in the open section at the 45th Chess Olympiad in 2024. He won the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025.

Early and personal life

Praggnanandhaa was born to a Tamil-speaking family in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 10 August 2005. His father, Rameshbabu, works as a branch manager at TNSC Bank, and his mother, Nagalakshmi, is a homemaker who often accompanies Praggnanandhaa when he travels for tournaments.

Praggnanandhaa and his elder sister Vaishali are the first brother and sister to earn grandmaster titles, with Praggnanandhaa doing so in 2018 and his sister doing so in 2023. They are also the first brother and sister to qualify for the Candidates Tournament.

Aside from chess, Praggnanandhaa enjoys playing table tennis and watching cricket in his spare time.

Career

2013–2017

Praggnanandhaa won the World Youth Chess Championship Under-8 title in 2013, earning him the title of FIDE Master. He won the under-10 title in 2015.

In 2016, Praggnanandhaa became the youngest international master in history, at the age of 10 years, 10 months, and 19 days. He achieved his first grandmaster norm at the World Junior Chess Championship in November 2017, finishing fourth with 8 points.