Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin lauded prodigy R Praggnanandhaa on Thursday for his excellent performance at the 2023 FIDE World Cup and said the entire country was proud of him.
Despite the final result, Praggnanandhaa's achievement resonated with the dreams of 140 crore people, the Chief Minister said and congratulated him for clinching the silver medal and entering the FIDE Candidates tournament.
Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa's dream run in the FIDE World Cup ended at the hands of Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, who beat him 1.5-0.5 in the tie-break at Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday after the classical games ended in a stalemate.
The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa beat world No 2 Hikaru Nakamura and world No 3 Fabiano Caruana.
The results in the ongoing tournament also helped Praggnanandhaa qualify for the Candidates 2024 tournament, which will be held in Canada.
"Heartfelt congratulations to #Chennai's pride, @rpragchess, on your outstanding performance in the 2023 #FIDEWorldCup!" the Chief Minister said in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
"Your journey to the final, defeating world #2 Nakamura and #3 Caruana, has left us all awestruck. Despite the final result, your achievement resonates with 140 crore dreams. The entire country is proud of you, #Praggnanandhaa!" he said.
"Your silver medal and entry to the #FIDECandidates Tournament are milestones that will inspire generations to come," the Chief Minister further said.
Praggnanandhaa has become the third youngest player after the legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates tournament.
