Who is Praggnanandhaa? What’s his story? And how much is he worth? In this article, we are going to trace Praggnanandhaa’s interesting path through life, give you information about his siblings and relatives and unveil secrets of his wealth. 

We will tell you about Praggnanandhaa’s biography, family, sister, net worth and much more. So fasten your seatbelts for an exciting journey into the life of this chess prodigy!

Birth, Parents, and Family 

Praggnanandhaa was born on August 10th 2005 in Chennai in Tamil Nadu state in India and he is an exceptional chess prodigy. His father Rameshbabu is a branch manager at TNSC Bank while his mother Nagalakshmi is a full-time homemaker.

Praggnanandhaa’s sister R Vaishali is also a chess grandmaster, making them the first brother-sister duo to have GrandMaster titles.

As of 2024, Praggnaadhavijaaya is eighteen years old and continues to pursue his education. In 2022, he was studying in class IX at Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School located in Chennai.

Praggnanandhaa’s Sister

R Vaishali who just like her brother Praggnanandhaa also happens to be a chess grandmaster. Their remarkable connection as the first ever brother-sister pair with GM titles is something that they share in common.

Vaishali won the team bronze medal when she participated as part of the women’s team during the 44th Chess Olympiad held in July 2022. Additionally she also earned an individual bronze from the same event.

The siblings maintained their winning streaks by both winning silver medals at the Asian Games which took place in 2023.

Journey of R Praggnanandhaa: The Indian Chess Prodigy

Early Triumphs

  • Praggnanandhaa’s journey into chess started at an early stage. In the year 2013, he won the Under-8 World Youth Chess Championship earning him the title of FIDE Master.
  • Further, he obtained the Under-10 title in 2015 making his extraordinary talent manifest at a young age.

Youngest International Master:

  • At only 10 years, 10 months, and 19 days old in 2016, Praggnanandhaa created history by becoming the youngest international master ever to emerge from India.
  • His dedication and strategic prowess propelled him forward, catching the attention of chess enthusiasts worldwide.

The Grandmaster Title

  • Praggnanandhaa’s journey towards becoming grandmaster is awe inspiring. In 2018, he got his first GM norm in World Junior Chess Championship where he finished fourth with eight points.
  • The next year saw him get his second norm from the Heraklion Fischer Memorial GM norm tournament that took place in Greece. Finally on June 23, 2018 he gained his third and final norm for being a grandmaster during an event held in Italy thereby becoming a grandmaster at 12 years, 10 months, and 13 days. 
  • Praggnanandhaa is the sixth youngest person ever to become a world champion joining other greats of the game.

Notable Victories

In the course of Praggnanandhaa’s life there have been many notable victories. In 2018 during Magistral de León Masters Spain which saw him compete against Wesley Sohe lost by a narrow margin 2-1⁄2–1⁄2 although this also acted as evidence for his potential.

He continued to win with great pride such that by July 2019 he dominated Xtracon Chess Open in Denmark with an outstanding result of 8 1⁄2/10 points.

Also, later that year he managed to be the World Youth Championships winner in the Under-18 section with an excellent score of 9/11.

Pragganandhaa’s Net Worth 

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa’s net worth 2024 is around $1 million. Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa’s net worth in 2022 was somewhere around ₹25 lakh. 

He has earned this considerable wealth by giving outclass performances in many international chess competitions.

Praggnanandhaa’s net worth in Indian Rupees is equivalent to about ₹8.23 crore.

Awards and Recognition

National Honors

Arjuna Award (2022): For his exceptional contributions to Indian chess, Praggnanandhaa got this prestigious award. The Arjuna Award celebrates excellence in sports and marks his amazing journey. 

Global Spotlight

In 2022, Praggnanandhaa shocked the world by beating Magnus Carlsen, the World Champion himself at Airthings Masters which is an online rapid chess tournament.

Praggnanandhaa on Social Media

  • Twitter: You can get updates from Praggnanandhaa on twitter with the handle @rpragchess having approximately 247.2 K followers as we speak.
  • Instagram: On Instagram, Praggnanandhaa sometimes posts some snippets of his journey through chess and you can follow him at @praggnanandhaa where he currently has a following with 661 K followers which keeps on increasing.
  • Facebook: His page has 72 K followers on Facebook.

Praggnanandhaa gets  Mahindra XUV4OO

In 2023, an image that was widely circulated on social media showed R Praggnanandhaa’s mother looking very proud. Why? Her son had reached the FIDE World Cup finals played in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Inspired by that moment Anand Mahindra decided to grant wishes of Pragnnanadha parents he made good for their dream so presented them an electric car Mahindra XUV4OO.

“Received XUV 4OO. My parents are happy, Thank You Anand Mahindra sir,” said Praggnanandhaa to Anand Mahindra in a Facebook post. It is such a nice thing for one to recognize talent and see others happy.

Upcoming Chess Competitions 

FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024

Praggnanandhaa is competing in this prestigious tournament with some of the best players in the world. His live games and analysis can be followed on Chess.com.

Chessable Masters Online Tournament

Praggnanandhaa is currently playing the final of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, part of which involved the Chessable Masters. He is showcasing his skills in this entertaining and exciting chess tournament. 

2024 Praggnanandhaa Live Chess Tournament

Be part of “2024 Praggnanandhaa” live chess tournament on Chess.com for some intense battles!

Bottom Line

The story of R Praggnanandhaa from being a chess prodigy to becoming a grandmaster has resonated across borders. Praggnanandhaa’s net worth in rupees is ₹8.23 crore. He continues on his chess journey and is sure to win many more chess championships in the future.