NEW DELHI: R Nagalakshmi, mother of teen chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, on Friday expressed her joy as her son secured a place in the Candidates Tournament.
Nagalakshmi mentioned despite the remarkable achievement of her 18-year-old son, he still has a 'long was to go'.
The Candidates Tournament holds significant importance as it determines the contender who will challenge the reigning world champion.
In the FIDE World Cup final held in Baku on Thursday, Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa's impressive run in the tournament came to a disheartening end with the defeat against World no.1 Magnus Carlsen. After their classical games ended in a draw, Carlsen managed to secure victory in the tie-breaker with a score of 1.5-0.5, ending Praggnanandhaa's sensational run in the tournament.
1/10:A proud mother's emotions during chess prodigy Praggnanandhaa's biggest tests
2/10:Love in the eyes
<p>Praggnanandhaa's proud mother looks at her prodigious son during the 2023 FIDE Chess World Cup in Baku.</p>
3/10:Sending best wishes
<p>Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa's loving mother Nagalakshmi, who accompanies him to all competitions, sending best wishes to her son during the World Cup.<br /></p>
4/10:On the edge of her seat
<p>Nagalakshmi, R Praggnanandhaa's mother, looks on nervously as her son plays a crucial match at the FIDE World Cup.<br /></p>
5/10:Keeping a close watch
<p>Praggnanandhaa's mother kept a close watch on her son, who became the third youngest player to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, during the FIDE World Cup in Baku.<br /></p>
6/10:All Set!
<p>Praggnanandhaa ahead of the summit clash against World No.1 Magnus Carlsen. 'Prag' drew the two classical games, before going down fighting in the tie-breaker.<br /></p>
7/10:The hand shake
<p>Praggnanandhaa shakes hands with Magnus Carlsen after drawing the two rounds of the summit clash, which took the final to the tie-break.<br /></p>
8/10:Fluctuating emotions
<p>Nagalakshmi, Praggnanandhaa's mother, shows two extreme emotions as she lends her support to the chess prodigy.<br /></p>
9/10:Message from a guru: 'A special kind of support'
<p>Chess legend Garry Kasparov sends his congratulations to the youngster and calls his mother's support that of a special kind.<br /></p>
10/10:A joyous smile
<p>R Praggnanandhaa smiles after winning his semi-final match against Fabiano Caruana, the World No.3.<br /></p>Praggnanandhaa became only the second player from the country after Viswanathan Anand -- and the youngest -- to play in the FIDE World Cup final.
Nagalakshmi, who has played a huge role in her son's success by ensuring a conducive environment for him to train and also accompanied him to almost all the national and international events, said, "We are extremely happy that he came this far in the tournament. And more than that, we are elated to see him seal his berth for Candidates."
She also said that Praggnanandhaa would be leaving for Germany from Baku and and will return to India on August 30.
Nagalakshmi's images recently went viral on social media which coincided with the success of her son in Baku, and the mother said that she was so engrossed watching her son play that she didn't notice she was also becoming the focus of attention.
"During the quarterfinals of the World Cup (against compatriot Arjun Erigaisi), I was so engrossed in thinking what Praggnanandhaa was up to...that was the only thing which was going on in my mind. Later on, I found those photos had gone viral. I didn't even know they clicked those pictures," said Nagalakshmi.
Praggnanandhaa registered a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over Erigaisi to set up a semifinal showdown with Italian-American Grandmaster, Fabiano Caruana, ranked third in the world.
"It was proud to see him win that (tough) quarterfinal," said Nagalakshmi.
The mother added that the family was "overwhelmed" after receiving a call from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
"We also got a surprise call from our Chief Minister. It was an overwhelming moment because when he called, it was very late in the night (in India due to the one-and-half-hour time difference), but he still managed to find time to wish Pragg.
"I also spoke to him and it was good to hear even he was following the game from Chennai," added Nagalaxmi.
(With inputs from PTI)
