Chess Whiz Praggnanandha arrived at Chennai Airport yesterday after bagging silver in the FIDE World Cup in the final. Teenagers, School students, the Public and the Tamilnadu sports department came together to give him a hero-like welcome. As soon as he stepped out of the entrance fans and friends showered rose petals, shawls and garlands. Hails for Pragg were also heard at the airport that noise broke the usual silence of the airport.
Traditional Tamil folk dancers also welcomed the chess hero in their dancing style. He was driven home in the open car where people along the streets waved their hands and praised his victory. He then was escorted by a group of drummers (Chenda melam) and musicians near his house.
“Poorna Kumba Mariyathai”, a tradition in which the priests give the holy water taken from the temple, was presented to him.
The medal winner said, “Bagging a silver also was a difficult task and I am happy for that.”
The silver medal at the event also ensured the Grand Master a place in the Candidates event next year, where eight players will fight for a chance to take on current world championship holder Ding Liren in 2024.
Even as he soaked in adulation on arrival in the country, the youngster doesn’t have a lot of time to celebrate it as he now heads to Kolkata for the Asian Games camp conducted by GM Boris Gelfand before participating in the Tata Steel Chess India tournament next week.
The teenager had a phenomenal run at the coveted tournament held in Baku, Azerbaijan recently as he got the better of both the World No. 2 and World No.3 ranked Hikarau Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana en route to the final where he lost to World No.1 Magnus Carlsen on a tiebreaker.
Prag picked up a draw in the opening game of the finals of the FIDE World Cup playing white, and the second game in which he played with the black pieces also ended in a draw, thus pushing the game to be decided on a tiebreaker, which the Norwegian GM ultimately won to take the crown.
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