Praggnanandhaa youngest player to cross 2500 FIDE-rating points

He now has a chance to become the youngest ever Grandmaster if he can get three GM norms within the next seven months.

Praggnanandhaa is set to play in the Barcelona Open and the Isle of Man Open this month, and the World juniors in September.

The 12-year old Praggnanandhaa became the youngest chess player ever to cross 2500 FIDE-rating points when he won the Vlissingen Open title in The Netherlands recently.

He now has a chance to become the youngest ever Grandmaster if he can get three GM norms within the next seven months. Current record-holder Sergey Karjakin (Russia) achieved the feat when he was 12 years and seven months old.

Praggnanandhaa is set to play in the Barcelona Open and the Isle of Man Open this month, and the World juniors in September, informed his coach R.B. Ramesh. He said the Isle of Man is highly competitive, referring to it as the “world’s strongest open tournament”.

“Praggnanandhaa thoroughly deserves the record. He’s exceptionally talented and hard-working. If he maintains his intensity, I’m sure he will become the World champion some day. He can be India’s next (Viswanathan) Anand,” said Ramesh.