If Sachin Tendulkar had Ramakant Achrekar, R Praggnanandhaa has RB Ramesh. The prodigy’s hopes of causing the upset of his life ended with the second tie-break game in the chess World Cup final. Magnus Carlsen made sure that the 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa’s dream run did not include a win against the World No. 1, after victories against the No. 2 and No. 3 en route to the final. Ramesh said he was not surprised, and expects his ward to do even better in future.
Praggnanandhaa made history by becoming the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to qualify for the Candidates tournament, the winner of which gets to challenge the world champion. His awe-inspiring run is also expected to better his 27th position in the world rankings, when the rating list is updated next month. Most importantly, this tournament established him as a player expected to question the supremacy of the current group of elite players in the near future.
International Master at the age of 10, Grandmaster at 12 and the youngest at that point to cross 2600 in Elo ratings when he was 14, Praggnanandhaa is living up to the promise that he has shown since he was a child. Ramesh has been working with him for close to a decade. The following are excerpts from Ramesh’s conversation with RevSportz.
Atreyo: Did you expect him to achieve so many things at such a young age?
Ramesh: Yes, I did. His aim from a very young age was to become a world champion. What made him different from other kids was his willingness to put in the hard yards. He knew he had to forego other things to reach his target. This work ethic and handling everything responsibly sets him apart. Having seen these things for about nine to ten years, I am not surprised by what he is doing. But yes, I didn’t expect him to reach the World Cup final so soon.
Atreyo: After this performance, expectations will increase and that will bring in a different kind of pressure. Is Praggnanandhaa ready to handle that?
Ramesh: Praggnanandhaa is not new to attention or media. He’s been handling these since he was 10, when he became an International Master (youngest at the time). Almost a baby then, he had to give interviews for two months after that. He hated it because he wanted to concentrate on chess. Then, there was a gap between his second and third Grandmaster norms. At that time, just before a game, he was asked why was it taking so long! So he has faced this pressure of expectations, and got used to it. He knows it’s more important to focus on the game instead of thinking about expectations. But he makes sure that whenever he plays, he gives it his best.
Praggnanandhaa is the runner-up of the 2023 FIDE World Cup! 🥈
Congratulations to the 18-year-old Indian prodigy on an impressive tournament! 👏
On his way to the final, Praggnanandhaa beat, among others, world #2 Hikaru Nakamura and #3 Fabiano Caruana! By winning the silver… pic.twitter.com/zJh9wQv5pS— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) August 24, 2023
Atreyo: He’s still just 18. Realistically, where do you see him five years from now?
Ramesh: I think he can become the world champion in three to five years. At least, that’s what we’ll be aiming at. The signs are good until now. He’s making progress. Our preparations will be done with that in mind, and we’ll work towards that direction.
Atreyo: There was a long gap between Viswanathan Anand and another Indian making to the elite level. This generation is changing that. What has caused this?
Ramesh: Earlier, we didn’t have a system. There was no organised coaching programme, not many coaches and very few strong tournaments. There was hardly any government or private support, and little coverage in the media. It was difficult to produce world-class players from that environment. Things have changed for the better. Kids have access to computers, there are coaches, tournaments, sponsors and media attention. The ecosystem has changed. Players don’t feel ignored anymore.
Atreyo: How important is the role played by you or other coaches like you in fast-tracking the progress of the current generation of youngsters?
Ramesh: I’d like to think that I’ve made a contribution to this development. But it’s not for me to judge. If you ask me, I’ve tried my best as a coach and I don’t have regrets. Now, it’s up to others to see if I’ve done something worthwhile.
Atreyo: What are Praggnanandhaa’s biggest assets as a player?
Ramesh: First is passion. He loves chess. He is an extremely hard worker and mentally tough. He has this fighting spirit to see what happens till the end and never gives up, even if the position looks bad. His end game has become very good in the last few years, and openings are getting better. There are a few areas of concern, which I will discuss with him.
Also Read: Praggnanandhaa on the cusp of history at 18