FIDE Online Chess Olympiad: R Praggnanandhaa shines for India
15-year-old Indian chess sensation R Praggnanandhaa starred for the nation in the ongoing FIDE Online Chess Olympiad. The teenager alongside Divya Deshmukh helped India stun a formidable Chinese team 4-2 in the ninth and final round of the Top Division Pool 'A'. India will play the quarterfinals on August 28. On Monday, Praggnanandhaa thanked India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for sponsoring him.
I want to thank Nirmala Sitharaman, says Praggnanandhaa
Praggnanandhaa credited Sitharaman after India made it to the quarters. He told ANI, "We qualified for quarter-finals by beating China. I want to thank Nirmala Sitharaman ma'am for providing me sponsorship."
How did India perform against the Chinese?
Four draws and two wins on Under-20 boards helped India pull off the victory against China. After a shaky start, Praggnanandhaa managed to turn the tables on Liu Yan and finished with a perfect 6/6 score. Meanwhile, Deshmukh overcame Jiner Zhu as the likes of Vidit Gujrathi, P Harikrishna, Koneru Humpy and D Harika managed draws.
India top Pool A, qualify for the quarters
India beat Georgia 4-2 in round 7 as Praggnanandhaa beat Nikolozi Kacharava. In round 8, India beat Germany 4.5-1.5 and then overcame China to finish atop Pool A with 17 points and 39.5 board points. India became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Key achievements of Praggnanandhaa
In October 2019, Praggnanandhaa clinched the World Youth Chess Championship, claiming the gold in the Under-18 Open category. Praggnanandhaa is the world's fourth-youngest Grandmaster as he achieved this feat at 12 years, 10 months, and 13 days. Praggnanandhaa claimed the title after reaching the final round at the Gredine Open in Italy. At that time, he was the youngest Indian to do so.
