Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

**Jack Maguire** · Tuesday, 31st May, 2016, 08:08 AM

Re: Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

Given Praggnanandhaa shattered Karjakin's youngest ever IM record by more than a year, there's a good chance Karjakin's youngest ever GM record (which has stood since August, 2002) will also fall. 'The Hindu' seems to think it's merely a matter of funding.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-...cle8668909.ece

**Wayne Komer** · Saturday, 10th December, 2016, 09:42 PM

Re: Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa

December 10, 2016

This young man is in London at the London Classic FIDE Open. In the first three rounds he has scored 2.5. I give his last game:

London Classic FIDE Open
Round 3, Dec. 10, 2016
Praggnanandhaa,R. (IND) – DeCozar, Ulises (USA)
B31 Sicilian, Nimzowitsch-Rossolimo Attack

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.O-O Bg7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.e5 Nd5 7.Nc3 Nc7 8.Bxc6 dxc6 9.Ne4 Ne6 10.d3 O-O 11.h3 b6 12.a3 Nd4 13.Bf4 h6 14.b4 g5 15.Bg3 cxb4 16.axb4 Be6 17.Nfd2 Qd5 18.Nc4 Nf5 19.Bh2 Qb5 20.Qd2 Bxc4 21.Nc3 Qxb4 22.Ra4 Qxa4 23.Nxa4 Be6 24.f4 gxf4 25.Qxf4 Rfd8 26.Qf2 c5 27.Bf4 Rd4 28.Nc3 Rb4 29.Bc1 h5 30.Qf3 Rd8 31.Qxh5 Rh4 32.Qf3 Nd4 33.Qf2 Rh5 34.Bf4 a5 35.Ne4 a4 36.Bg5 Rd7 37.c3 Nb3 38.Bxe7 Rf5 39.Qh4 Rxe7 40.Qxe7 Bd5 41.Qd8+ 1-0
________

There is a feature story on him in The Mirror

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/child-c...become-9430405

with two excellent photos.

The accompanying text says in part:

He learnt to play chess before he could even read and now wants to take the coveted record from Russian Sergey Karjakin. Rameshbabu is so skilled at chess he can play blindfolded. And now he has his eyes set on beating Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin’s long-standing world record of achieving the coveted title at the age of 12 years and seven months.

“I don’t know why I’m good at chess, I just really enjoy it, ” said the modest schoolboy, who is so skilled he can even play the game blindfold.

“I like the tactics and calculating all the different possibilities. ”

Neither of Praggnanandhaa’s parents play chess, but his 15-year-old sister Vaishali is a Woman International Master.

“I saw my sister playing when I was three and wanted to play too, ” he said.

“Now I play for three or four hours every day after school in an academy. I want to become world champion as soon as possible. ”

But despite his prodigious talent, Praggnanandhaa is in many ways just like any other schoolboy and loves riding his bike and watching cartoons. He will be an inspiration to the thousands of British schoolchildren attending the London Chess Classic over the next week to play games against each other.

_________

He is scheduled to play Dutch GM Benjamin Bok as black tomorrow (Dec. 11)

**Wayne Komer** · Sunday, 11th December, 2016, 05:35 PM

Re: Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa

December 11, 2016

Today in the London FIDE Open, Praggna (2452)went up against Benjamin Bok (2598).

London Classic FIDE Open
Round 4, Dec. 11, 2016
D73 Neo-Grunfeld, 5.Nf3 c6

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 O-O 5.d4 c6 6.Nc3 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.Ne5 e6 9.O-O Nfd7 10.Nf3 Nf6 11.Bf4 Nc6 12.Rc1 Bd7 13.Bd6 Re8 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Ng4 16.Qd4 Nh6 17.e4 dxe4 18.Nxe4 Nf5 19.Qb4 Bc6 20.Rfd1 Qb6 21.Nf6+ Bxf6 22.exf6 Bxg2 23.Kxg2 e5 24.Qxb6 axb6 25.Bc7 h5 26.Bxb6 Rxa2 27.Rd2 Ra6 28.Rd8 Rxd8 29.Bxd8 Kf8 30.Rc7 Ke8 31.Be7 Nxe7 32.Rxe7+ Kf8 33.Rxb7 Rxf6 34.b4 e4 35.Rd7 h4 36.gxh4 Kg7 37.b5 Re6 38.Rd4 Kf6 39.Rb4 Rb6 40.Kg3 Ke5 41.Kg4 f6 42.Rb3 Kd4 43.Kf4 Kc4 44.Rg3 Rxb5 45.Rxg6 Rb2 46.Kxe4 Rxf2 47.h5 Kc5 48.h6 Kd6 49.h3 Rh2 50.Rg3 Ra2 51.h7 Ra4+ 52.Kf5 Rh4 53.Kg6 f5 54.Kg7 f4 55.Ra3 Ke5 56.h8=Q Rxh8 57.Kxh8 Ke4 58.h4 Kf5 59.h5 Kg5 60.Rf3 Kg4 61.Rf1 1-0

I give him credit for playing on, even when a rook down, for love of the game.

**Wayne Komer** · Wednesday, 14th December, 2016, 03:35 AM

Re: Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

R Praggnanandhaa

December 14, 2016

After six rounds Praggna has 3.5 points.

His last two games

London Classic FIDE Open
Round 5, Dec. 12, 2016
Praggnanandhaa, R. – Stigar, Petter (2236)
A06 Reti Opening

1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 Bg4 3.Ne5 Bf5 4.Bb2 Nd7 5.Nxd7 Qxd7 6.e3 c6 7.d3 Nf6 8.Nd2 e6 9.g3 Be7 10.Bg2 h6 11.O-O Bh7 12.Qe2 O-O 13.f4 Qc7 14.Nf3 Nd7 15.e4 a5 16.a4 Rfe8 17.Kh1 Nc5 18.e5 b5 19.axb5 cxb5 20.Nd4 Qd7 21.f5 exf5 22.Qf3 Red8 23.g4 f4 24.Qxf4 Bf8 25.Nf5 a4 26.bxa4 Rxa4 27.Qf3 Rxa1 28.Bxa1 b4 29.Nd6 Bxd6 30.exd6 Nb7 31.Qxd5 Nxd6 32.Qd4 f5 33.Qxb4 fxg4 34.Qd4 Nf5 35.Qc4+ Kh8 36.Qxg4 Qa7 37.Rg1 Ne3 38.Qh4 Rd6 39.Be4 Bxe4+ 40.dxe4 Rg6 41.Rxg6 Qxa1+ 42.Rg1 Qd4 43.Qf4 Nxc2 44.Qf8+ Kh7 45.Qf5+ 1-0

Round 6, Dec. 13, 2016
Tarhon, Brian – Praggnanandhaa, R
B90 Sicilian, Najdorf, Byrne Attack

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Be2 Be7 9.O-O O-O 10.Qd3 Nbd7 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5 Nc5 13.Nxc5 dxc5 14.c4 e4 15.Qc2 Qc7 16.f4 Bd6 17.g3 Rae8 18.Rae1 Nd7 19.Kh1 f5 20.g4 g5 21.Qc1 Nf6 22.gxf5 g4 23.Qc3 h5 24.Bd1 Re7 25.Re2 Rg7 26.Rg2 b6 27.a3 Qd7 28.b4 Qxf5 29.bxc5 bxc5 30.Qe1 Nd7 31.Kg1 Rb8 32.Bd2 Rb1 33.Bc3 Rf7 34.Bxg4 hxg4 35.Qxb1 Bxf4 36.Bd2 e3 37.Qxf5 Rxf5 38.Rxg4+ Kh7 39.Rgxf4 Rg5+ 40.Kh1 exd2 41.Rf7+ Kh6 42.Rxd7 Re5 43.Rd6+ Kh7 44.Re6 1-0

I guess that even prodigies are knocked around until they gain enough experience.

**Wayne Komer** · Friday, 16th December, 2016, 12:20 AM

Re: Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

R Praggnanandhaa

December 15, 2016

London Chess Classic, FIDE Open
Round 7, Dec. 14, 2016
Praggnanandhaa, R. – Aradhya, Garg
D00 Queen’s Pawn, Mason Variation

1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Qb3 c4 6.Qc2 g6 7.Nd2 Bf5 8.Qc1 Nc6 9.h3 Bg7 10.Ngf3 O-O 11.b3 cxb3 12.axb3 Rac8 13.Nh4 e5 14.dxe5 Ne4 15.Nxf5 gxf5 16.Nxe4 fxe4 17.Be2 Nxe5 18.Bxe5 Bxe5 19.O-O Rxc3 20.Qd1 d4 21.exd4 Bxd4 22.Bc4 e3 23.Qg4+ Kh8 24.Rad1 exf2+ 25.Kh1 Be5 26.Bd3 Bg7 27.b4 Rd8 28.Qe4 Qg6 29.Qe7 Qd6 30.Qxd6 Rxd6 31.Be2 Rxd1 32.Bxd1 Bd4 33.Bf3 b5 34.Bd5 Kg7 35.g4 Rg3 36.Kh2 Rg1 37.Bg2 Be5# 0-1

**Wayne Komer** · Saturday, 17th December, 2016, 01:00 AM

Re: Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

R Praggnanandhaa

December 16, 2016

London Chess Classic, FIDE Open
Round 8, Dec. 15, 2016
O’Molloy, Eamonn – Praggnanandhaa, R.
A46 Queen’s Pawn, Yusupov-Rubinstein System

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 b6 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.O-O Be7 6.Nbd2 c5 7.b3 O-O 8.Bb2 Nc6 9.c4 d5 10.Qe2 cxd4 11.exd4 Nb4 12.Bb1 Rc8 13.a3 Nc6 14.Bd3 Bd6 15.Ne5 Bb8 16.Ndf3 Na5 17.Nd2 Nc6 18.Ndf3 Ne7 19.Nd2 Nf5 20.Bxf5 exf5 21.f3 Re8 22.Qf2 Nd7 23.Nxd7 Qxd7 24.Rfe1 Qc7 25.Qh4 Qf4 26.Qxf4 Bxf4 27.Nf1 h5 28.g3 Bh6 29.Rxe8+ Rxe8 30.Kf2 dxc4 31.bxc4 f4 32.Re1 fxg3+ 33.hxg3 Rxe1 34.Kxe1 Bxf3 35.Kf2 Be4 36.c5 Kf8 37.cxb6 axb6 38.Ne3 b5 39.Nd1 Bd3 40.Bc3 f5 41.Bb4+ Kf7 42.Ne3 g5 43.Bc3 Bg7 44.Ng2 Bf6 45.Ne1 Be4 46.Nf3 Bxf3 47.Kxf3 Be7 48.Bb2 Ke6 49.Ke3 Kd5 0-1

**Wayne Komer** · Monday, 19th December, 2016, 03:52 PM

Re: Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

R Praggnanandhaa

December 19, 2016

London Chess Classic, FIDE Open
Round 9, Dec. 16, 2016
Praggnananadhaa, R. – Kett, Timothy
C55 Two Knight’s Defence (Modern Bishop’s Opening)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 h6 5.O-O d6 6.c3 g6 7.d4 Qe7 8.Re1 Bg7 9.Nbd2 O-O 10.Bb3 Bd7 11.Nf1 Rae8 12.h3 Nh5 13.a4 Qd8 14.a5 Qc8 15.Bc2 Kh8 16.Ne3 Nf4 17.Nd5 g5 18.dxe5 dxe5 19.Be3 Re6 20.b4 Rfe8 21.b5 Ne7 22.Bc5 Neg6 23.c4 Nxd5 24.exd5 Rf6 25.Nd2 Nf4 26.Ra3 b6 27.axb6 axb6 28.Bb4 g4 29.h4 Bf5 30.Ne4 Rg6 31.Qb1 Bf8 32.Bxf8 Rxf8 33.Ng3 Bxc2 34.Qxc2 Qd8 35.Qf5 f6 36.Nh5 Rfg8 37.Nxf4 exf4 38.Qxf4 Qf8 39.Rae3 Qc5 40.h5 R6g7 41.Qxh6+ Rh7 42.Qxf6+ 1-0

My original intent was to follow Praggnanandhaa, the chess prodigy, through the nine rounds of a foreign tournament to see how he would do.

He outranked all of his opponents except GM Benjamin Bok. Here are his results:

1. Riedener Toni 2026 w 1
2. Moravec Vic 2205 b ½
3. Decozar Ulises 2147 2 1
4. Bok Benjamin 2598 b 0
5. Stigar Peter 2236 w 1
6. Tarhon Brian b 0
7. Aradhya Garg w 0
8. O’Molloy Eamonn 1942 b 1
9. Kett Timothy 2228 w 1

The first entry indicates that he had white against Toni Riedener, who has an ELO of 2026, and he beat him.

Praggna’s overall performance rating is 2292. But he is young (b. 2005), enthusiastic and is said to be Vishy Anand’s protégé. I think he will go far.

He ended the tournament with 5.5 points and ranked 45.

Just for the record, the prize winners:

1. Etienne Bacrot 7.5
1. Sebastien Maze 7.5
3. Ilya Smirin 7.0
3. Eduardo Iturrizaga 7.0
3. Abhijeet Gupta 7.0
3. Benjamin Bok 7.0
3. Andrei Istratescu 7.0
3. Sebastian Bogner 7.0
3. Murali Karhikeyan 7.0
10. Hrant Melkumyan 6.5 with 11 others.

Canadians in the Open were Daniel Abrahams 68th with 5.5, Max Gedajlovic 72nd with 5.0, Dale Haessel 85th with 5.0, and Artem Gurevich 109th with 4.5.

247 players

**Wayne Komer** · Saturday, 7th January, 2017, 01:37 PM

Re: Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

R Praggnanandhaa

January 7, 2017

From Leonard Barden’s column in The Guardian, Jan. 6, 2017:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...v-world-record

Ramesh Praggnanandhaa and Nodirbek Abdusattorov race to break world record

Hastings 2016-17, which ended on Thursday, produced an exceptional individual result.

Hastings has always been a proving ground for young talent and this year it was Ramesh Praggnanandhaa, at 11 the youngest ever international master, who claimed attention. His games were featured daily on the congress website, which was transformed and upgraded from previous years, and it made online viewing a pleasure.

The Indian prodigy occasionally rode his luck at Hastings, but he remained unbeaten, recovered strongly to win from a dubious position in the final round, scored 6½/9 and finished with joint second prize, just half a point behind his countryman Deep Sengupta. It was his best performance yet and showed clear grandmaster potential.

He still has 14 months remaining to break Sergey Karjakin’s world record as the youngest ever GM at 12 years, seven months, but he has a rival.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov, from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, beat two GMs in a tournament when aged only nine. Last October, at 11 years 10 months, he scored the youngest ever GM result in stunning style at St Petersburg, where he totalled 7/9 including 4/6 against GMs. His victims included the Dutch GM Benjamin Bok, winner of the 2015 London Classic Open, and Brazil’s No1 GM, Alexander Fier, who competed at Hastings this week.

You would expect Uzbek officials to have made every effort to place their gifted young player at London Olympia, Hastings or Stockholm in December, the month of his 12th birthday, to give him the best chances for his required second and third GM norms, reach a 2500 rating and so win the race with his Indian rival to break Karjakin’s coveted record. Not a bit of it. Instead he was bizarrely diverted to the world schools under-13 at Sochi, where he duly cleaned up in the East European and Asian field with 8/9.

Time is running out for the Uzbek schoolboy. His IM title, though earned, is not yet ratified and his Fide rating of 2429 is still well short of the GM requirement of 2500. He is not entered for Tradewise Gibraltar, the world’s best open, which starts on 17 January, and it is unclear whether he will play in the next big event at Moscow Aeroflot in February.

Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa

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