Praggnanandhaa got a rousing reception in Chennai.
Chennai's 12-year-old Praggnanandhaa who has brought laurels to the country after becoming the world's second youngest chess grandmaster got a rousing reception in the city. A student of Velammal School, Praggnanandhaa was felicitated at the airport by his teachers and classmates.
"I am very happy. I started playing when I was three years old. My sister is my inspiration," said Praggnanandhaa whose sister is an international women's champion in chess.
Coming from a middle class family in Chennai's Mugapair, Praggnanandhaa did not have a very easy ride. The family struggled financially till the boy got a sponsor in 2015.
His mother said, "He is a small boy. It was difficult to manage his tour abroad. I used encourage him, especially when he was defeated. Till he got a sponsor, I struggled a lot financially."
"We never forced him to join the game. It is a joyous moment for all of us. We are proud of him," Praggnanandhaa father Ramesh Babu told ANI.
"We didn't expect anything. We left in god's grace and his natural gift," he added.
Legendary Viswanathan Anand lauded Praggnanandhaa's feat and he will be meeting the young achiever soon.
He got his third Grand Master at the age of 12 years and 10 months.
Praggnanandhaa won his first Grand Master norm at the World Junior Championships in Tarvisio in November 2017. He achieved his second norm by winning the Herkalion Fischer Memorial Grand Master Norm tournament in Greece in April earlier this year.
He missed out on becoming the youngest ever by three months with Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine holding the record of being the youngest Grandmaster in the world at 12 years, 7 months - a feat achieved in 2002.
(With Inputs From ANI)