FIDE wishes R Praggnanandhaa on 21st birthday, hails Indian GM's remarkable chess career
Lausanne, August 10
The International Chess Federation wished Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa on his 21st birthday on Monday, highlighting his remarkable career.
In a post on X, FIDE wished R. Praggnanandhaa on his 21st birthday, praising his achievements, including becoming a Grandmaster at 12, reaching a peak rating of 2785 and world No. 4, competing in two Candidates Tournaments, and winning silver at the 2023 World Cup and gold at the 2024 Chess Olympiad.
"Happy 21st Birthday to @rpraggnachess. Praggnanandhaa earned the Grandmaster title at the age of 12, becoming the second-youngest player in history to do so at the time. He has since reached a career-high rating of 2785 and a peak world ranking of No. 4, competed in the 2024 and 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournaments, became a silver medallist at the 2023 FIDE World Cup, and a gold medallist at the 2024 Chess Olympiad. Wishing Praggnanandhaa a fantastic birthday and another year filled with success and memorable achievements," FIDE said in the X post.
Praggnanandhaa, born on August 10, 2005, secured the Grand Chess Tour St. Louis Rapid and Blitz title on Friday. The 21-year-old drew against Javokhir Sindarov during the penultimate round to seal the tournament with a score of 23/35 points, finishing 1.5 points ahead of everyone else.
Earlier in June, Praggnanandhaa scripted history by claiming the Norway Chess 2026 crown in Oslo after defeating Germany's Vincent Keymer in the tenth and final round.
The victory completed a remarkable late surge by the Indian star, who registered four consecutive classical wins to secure one of the biggest titles of his career. Following this, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Monday felicitated the Indian Grandmaster and presented him with a cash reward of Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Happy birthday Praggnanandhaa! It's incredible to see someone so young achieve Grandmaster status at 12 and now be world No. 4. The future of Indian chess is bright with talents like him, Gukesh, and Vidit. 👏
This is what disciplined hard work looks like! Winning St. Louis Rapid and Blitz right before his birthday, and the Norway Chess title in June—simply outstanding. Bengaluru and the whole country are behind you, Praggu!
Happy 21st birthday to this chess genius! 🎉 It's so motivating to see someone our age achieve so much. From Tamil Nadu to the world stage, what a journey. Enjoy the birthday celebrations, champion!
Great to see FIDE recognizing Praggu's achievements. His silver at World Cup and gold at the Chess Olympiad show his consistency. Happy birthday to our very own chess hero! 🏆
Happy birthday Praggu! At just 21, you've achieved what many can only dream of. Wishing you all the best for the upcoming Candidates and many more titles ahead. India is truly proud of you! 🇮🇳
S Siddharth J Incred We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.