Chennai: City boy R. Praggnanandhaa on Saturday became the second youngest chess grandmaster in the world at the age of 12 years and 10 months and 13 days.
The prodigy achieved the landmark at the ongoing 4th Gredine Open 2018 in Ortisei, Italy. The record holder, Ukraine’s Sergey Karjakin, became a GM when he was 12 years and seven months. Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand won the GM title when he was 18 years old.
Prag, who had set a world record for the youngest IM title holder at the age of 10 years and nine months, started the tournament as the sixth seed with a rating of 2529 and won his third and final GM norm with a round to spare. GM R.B. Ramesh coaches the eighth standard student of Velammal School.
Prag’s sister, Vaishali, is also a chess player. Prag’s father Ramesh Babu said he wasn’t worried about the record. “Neither was he. Prag just enjoys playing chess,” he added.
