Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa beats chess world champ Ding Liren to become India’s No.1

NEW DELHI — Eighteen-year-old Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa surpassed Viswanathan Anand in live classical chess rankings after beating reigning world champion Ding Liren at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.

Praggnanandhaa jumped two spots to 11th overall with 2748.3 rating points, 0.3 more than Anand.

He entered the fourth round of the prestigious tournament with a sensational win. He is only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to beat a reigning world champion in classical chess.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar took to social media to shower praise on the young chess prodigy.

“Big cheers to @rpraggnachess for this remarkable triumph against World Champion, Ding Liren. At the young age of 18, you haven’t just dominated the game but also risen to become India’s top-rated player,” Tendulkar said in his post on X.

Big cheers to @rpraggnachess for this remarkable triumph against World Champion, Ding Liren. At the young age of 18, you haven’t just dominated the game but also risen to become India's top-rated player.
Best wishes for your upcoming challenges. Continue to bring glory to India… pic.twitter.com/W7NAqSYnDX

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 17, 2024

Also read: FIDE World Cup: Praggnanandhaa’s heroic run ends against Carlsen, finishes runner-up