Praggnanandhaa, a Grandmaster!

by Sagar Shah
6/23/2018 – In a small town of northern Italy called Ortisei, history is being made. The young uber-prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa is playing the 4th Gredine Open 2018 and he has qualified for his final GM norm making him the second youngest GM in the history of the game. In this article IM Sagar Shah analyzes one of Pragg's fine wins over Aryan Gholami from Iran. His sister Vaishali is also in fantastic form as she is on track to making her maiden IM norm. Also get to see some breathtaking pictures sent to us by Sushir Lohia.
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Second youngest GM ever

The 4th Gredine Open 2018 is currently taking place in Ortisei, Italy. It's a pretty strong event with a rating average of 2198. There are 81 players from 21 countries and 42 of them are titled. The tournament is, therefore, an excellent destination for norm seekers. That's precisely the reason why R. Praggnanandhaa is playing the tournament! He required his final GM norm to become the second youngest GM in the history of the game. And after completing eight rounds he seems to have done it!

Ortisei is a town of 4,637 inhabitants in South Tyrol in northern Italy. It occupies the Val Gardena within the Dolomites, a mountain chain that is part of the Alps.

Playing hall

The playing hall of the tournament (click or tap to enlarge) | Photo: Official website

Praggnanandhaa started off as the sixth seed at the tournament with a rating of 2529. He needs just one more GM-performance to qualify for the title.

Although all the players that he has beaten have been below his rating, I think his win against Aryan Gholami deserves special mention. Aryan is a talented youngster from Iran. He has a rating of 2490. To win a game against such a talented opponent is never an easy task. And Pragg made all the best moves, showing some flawless bit of chess!

 
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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4!? Pragg likes to play 2.g3. But here he decides to mix up things a bit. b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.d4 Bg7 6.0-0 0-0 This double finachetto system employed by Black is quite ambitious and hypermodern. White can play unambitiously with Nc3, but then Black goes Ne4 and he seems to be doing fine. Hence, Pragg goes for the more ambitious approach. 7.d5!? Blocking the bishop on b7 and now preparing Nc3. Ne4 8.Nfd2!? 8.Qc2 f5 is the main line. 8...Nc5 The first new move of the game. 9.Nb3 a5 10.Nc3 d6 11.Nd4 Qd7 12.e4 e5 13.Ndb5 It's a very complex game with a blocked centre and all the pieces on the board. But somehow I feel that the bishop on b7 is misplaced. Nba6 14.a3 f5 14...a4 15.Nxa4± 15.f3!? A typical Pragg move. I think this is not in the spirit of the position, but Pragg believes in it and makes it. Practically it is a good move. 15.exf5 gxf5 seems like the right way to proceed for White. But I am not sure what the best move is. Perhaps Bf3, with the idea to meet e4 by Be2. 16.Bf3!? e4 17.Be2 15...fxe4 16.fxe4 Rxf1+ 17.Kxf1 17.Bxf1 a4 18.Nxa4 Nxe4 19.Bg2 Nac5 20.Nxc5 Nxc5 21.b4± 17...c6?! 18.dxc6! Pragg is alert to changes in the position and picks up the pawn. Bxc6 19.Kg1! The d6 pawn is very weak. 19.Qxd6 Bxb5 20.Nxb5 Qxd6 21.Nxd6 Nb3-+ 19...Nc7 20.Be3 N7e6 21.b4 axb4 22.axb4 Na6 22...Rxa1 23.Qxa1+- 23.Nd5 23.Bh3 was also very strong. Nxb4 24.Rxa8+ Bxa8 25.Qa4+- 23...Nac7 24.Nbxc7 Rxa1 25.Qxa1 Nxc7 26.Bxb6 Nxd5 27.exd5 The dust has settled, white is a pawn up and completely winning. Ba4 28.b5 Bc2 29.Qa8+ Bf8 30.Be3 Qg4 31.h3 Qd1+ 31...Qxc4 32.Bh6+- 32.Kh2 Kf7 33.Qb7+ Kf6 34.Qc8 Kg7 35.Bh6+ A flawless game by Pragg! 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Praggnanandhaa R2529Gholami,A24901–02018A504th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.5

Praggnanandhaa and Gholami

Aryan Gholami is having a tough time with the Rameshbabu family as in the seventh round he lost to Vaishali as well! | Photos: Official website

In the eighth round, Pragg won another nice game against Italian GM Luca Moroni Jr. He got an advantage right out of the opening and played powerful attacking chess to convert the point, after Moroni went wrong in the middlegame.

 
Praggnanandhaa vs Moroni Jr.
Position after 16.Kh1

Black's king is stuck in the centre and he has just given a harmless check on b6 but now must drop his bishop back to f6 and try to defend. Instead, a bid for counterplay merely hastened the end.

16...dxe4?! 17.Nxe4 Rd3 18.Qa3! From here the queen is menacing the black king from afar. 18...Bd4 19.Bg5  and White is winning.

Here's the game in full including the moment when Moroni resigned:

Pragg's chance for a GM norm

Depending what his rating average is Pragg required either 6½/9 or 7.0/9. Here's the relevant extract from the FIDE Handbook:

FIDE handbook

Taking his 8th round opponent into consideration and also pushing the rating of his first-round opponent to 2200, Pragg's average comes to 2428. His win over Moroni means that so long as he meets an opponent whose rating is above 2485 in the ninth round, he achieves his norm with one round to spare!

If he gets an opponent in the last round whose rating is below 2485, then he would have to score a draw in the last round to make it.

Update: He's paired with Dutch GM Roeland Pruijssers (2514), so that should be enough regardless of the outcome of the final round. Pragg will be a GM!

Pragg had already achieved his first GM norm in the World Juniors 2017, and he achieved his second GM norm at a closed round-robin tournament in Greece. He has also crossed 2500 Elo. So, again, all that is required for him to become a GM is this final GM norm! I think he should be able to achieve it, considering the form that he is in right now. [He did!]

Youngest grandmasters in chess history

As Pragg was born on August 10th, 2005, if he achieves his third GM norm on June 24th, 2018, he would become a grandmaster at the age of 12 years, 10 months and 14 days. That would make him the second youngest GM in the history of the game and the only other player after Sergey Karjakin to achieve the GM title before the age of 13 years!

No. Player Country Age Birth year  
1. Sergey Karjakin Ukraine 12 years, 7 months, 0 days 1990
2. Nodirbek Abdusattorov Uzbekistan 13 years, 1 month, 11 days 2004
3. Parimarjan Negi India 13 years, 4 months, 22 days 1993
4. Magnus Carlsen Norway 13 years, 4 months, 27 days 1990
5. Wei Yi China 13 years, 8 months, 23 days 1999
6. Bu Xiangzhi China 13 years, 10 months, 13 days 1985
7. Samuel Sevian United States 13 years, 10 months, 27 days 2000
8. Richárd Rapport Hungary 13 years, 11 months, 6 days 1996
9. Teimour Radjabov Azerbaijan 14 years, 0 months, 14 days 1987
10. Ruslan Ponomariov Ukraine 14 years, 0 months, 17 days 1983

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1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 3.Nd5 Bc5 4.b4 Bd4 5.Rb1 c6 6.e3 A21: English Opening: 1...e5 2 Nc3 Bb6 6...cxd5 7.exd4 d6 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.d4 e4 10.c5 Ne7 11.Ne2 0-0 12.Nc3 Nf5 1-0 (23) Nepomniachtchi,I (2729)-Anand,V (2782) Riadh 2017 7.Nxb6 axb6 LiveBook: 3 Games 8.d4 White is slightly better. e4N Predecessor: 8...d5 9.dxe5 Rxa2 10.Qb3 Ra8 11.Bb2 Be6 12.Nf3 Ne7 ½-½ (54) Strebel,P-Schipmann,T CServe email 1996 9.Ne2 d5 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.b5 Nf6 12.a4 0-0 13.Ba3 Re8 14.Nc3 Nbd7       15.g4 Hoping for g5. h6 16.h4       Nf8 17.Be2 Ng6 18.Kd2 Be6 18...Nh7!= 19.g5!± hxg5 19...Nd7± was called for. 20.hxg5+- Nd7 21.Qg1! Ndf8 22.Rh5 Qb8 23.Bd1 Rc8 24.Qh2 24.Bb3+- 24...Qxh2± 25.Rxh2 Nh7 26.Rh5 Rd8 27.f4 exf3 28.Bxf3 f6 29.gxf6 Nxf6 30.Rg5 Nh4 31.Be2 31.Bh1!± Ne4+ 32.Nxe4 dxe4 33.Bxe4 Rxa4 34.Bb2 31...Kf7!= 32.Rf1 aiming for Bg4. g6! 33.Bd1 Rac8 Black should play 33...Nf5= 34.Re5! Nf5 35.Bb3       White is more active. Rd7 36.e4 36.Ne2± 36...Nxd4= 37.Bxd5 Kg7 Strongly threatening ...Bh3. 38.Kd3 Bxd5? 38...Bh3!= 39.Rxf6 Kxf6 40.Kxd4 Rxc3 41.Be7+ Rxe7 42.Rxe7 Kxe7 43.Kxc3 Bc8 39.Nxd5+- Nxd5 40.exd5 Nf5 41.Bb2 Kf7 42.Rh1! Rcd8 42...Ng7± 43.Bd4 Rcd8 43.Rh7+ 43.Kc4!+- is the precise move to win. 43...Kg8± 44.Rxd7 Rxd7       Endgame
KRB-KRN 45.Bd4 45.Re6!+- 45...Rd6! 46.Bf2 Kf7 47.Ke4 Rf6 ...Nd6+ is the strong threat. 48.Kd3 Rd6 49.Ke4 49.Kc4 49...Nh6 49...Rf6!= 50.Kd3 Rd6 50.Bh4 Rd7?       Better is 50...Nf5 51.Bg5 Ng3+ 52.Kd3 Nf5 51.Bg5+- Nf5 52.Re6 Ne7 53.Rf6+ Ke8 54.d6 Nf5 55.Ke5 55.Re6+ Kf8 56.Ke5 55...Rg7 56.Kd5 Rg8 57.Bf4 Rg7 58.Be5 58.Ke6 Black must now prevent Be5. Nd4+ 59.Ke5 58...Rd7? 58...Rf7 59.Bc3? 59.Re6+ Kf7 60.Bc3 59...Rh7 60.Rxg6 Kd7
61.Be5? 61.Bd2!± 61...Rh4= 62.Bg3 Rh5 63.Be5 Rh4 64.Bg3 Ne3+ 65.Ke5 Nc4+ 66.Kf5 White wants to mate with Rg7+. Ne3+ 67.Ke5 Nc4+ 68.Kf5 Intending Rg7+ and mate. 68.Kf6!? Rh7 69.Kg5± 68...Ne3+ 69.Ke5 Precision: White = 38%, Black = 49%. ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Vaishali R2310Saric,I2685½–½2018A214th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.1
Vocaturo,D2608Sarkar,J22971–02018C444th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.2
Kumar,N2286Santos Latasa,J25670–12018E044th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.3
Tarlev,K2552Fischer,D22631–02018D584th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.4
Dittmar,P2252Moroni,L25490–12018D354th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.5
Praggnanandhaa R2529Thiel,T22611–02018B134th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.6
Curien,N2204Kveinys,A2519½–½2018D004th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.7
Movileanu,D2199Kindermann,S25060–12018C034th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.8
Gholami,A2490Jaracz,B22461–02018A114th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.9
Podetti,D2186Tan,J24840–12018D024th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.10
Jaracz,P2467Lorscheid,G22001–02018A544th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.11
Schnelzer,R2182Sonis,F2448½–½2018D144th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.12
Solomon,K2419Arne,M21811–02018D064th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.13
Borgo,G2397Seyb,D21791–02018A044th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.14
Hoffmann,S2105Herzog,A2344½–½2018C004th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.15
Cappelletto,J2000Hecht,H23270–12018B074th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.16
Pruijssers,R2514Zucchelli,M20891–02018B244th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.17
Volkov,D2334Wecker,M2143½–½2018B484th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.18
Stelzer,H2227Hansson,H19780–12018C114th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.19
Sarvadh Sathiaram1974Wiesinger,R21990–12018C544th Chessfestival Gredine 20182.20
Gholami,A2490Vocaturo,D26081–02018A054th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.1
Santos Latasa,J2567Jaracz,P24671–02018C814th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.2
Tan,J2484Tarlev,K2552½–½2018C884th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.3
Moroni,L2549Solomon,K2419½–½2018E684th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.4
Hecht,H2327Praggnanandhaa R2529½–½2018E464th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.5
Kindermann,S2506Borgo,G23971–02018C004th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.6
Saric,I2685Curien,N22041–02018C184th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.7
Kveinys,A2519Vaishali R23101–02018D074th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.8
Wiesinger,R2199Pruijssers,R25140–12018C454th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.9
Sonis,F2448Hoffmann,S21051–02018D114th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.10
Herzog,A2344Schnelzer,R21821–02018B014th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.11
Hansson,H1978Bertagnolli,A23980–12018D384th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.12
Bosbach,G2161Volkov,D23340–12018E734th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.13
Sarkar,J2297Voltolini,G21501–02018D484th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.14
Wecker,M2143Kumar,N22860–12018E174th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.15
Thiel,T2261Behling,R21281–02018D024th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.16
Panjkovic,A2126Dittmar,P2252½–½2018A064th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.17
Jaracz,B2246Colombo,R2125½–½2018B404th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.18
Molina,F2212Riebel,W21130–12018E024th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.19
Lorscheid,G2200Kornitzky,T2112½–½2018A094th Chessfestival Gredine 20183.20
Kindermann,S2506Santos Latasa,J25670–12018B204th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.1
Saric,I2685Gholami,A24901–02018B304th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.2
Tarlev,K2552Sonis,F2448½–½2018A114th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.3
Tan,J2484Moroni,L25490–12018B074th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.4
Praggnanandhaa R2529Herzog,A23441–02018C094th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.5
Solomon,K2419Kveinys,A25190–12018B314th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.6
Pruijssers,R2514Hecht,H23271–02018B064th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.7
Vocaturo,D2608Thiel,T22611–02018D234th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.8
Jaracz,P2467Movileanu,D21991–02018D764th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.9
Bertagnolli,A2398Landi,A2198½–½2018D314th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.10
Borgo,G2397Johnsen,G21881–02018B074th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.11
Volkov,D2334Moroder,S21831–02018B124th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.12
Seyb,D2179Sarkar,J2297½–½2018C464th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.13
Kumar,N2286Arne,M21811–02018D064th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.14
Riebel,W2113Fischer,D2263½–½2018D004th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.15
Vaishali R2310Panjkovic,A21261–02018B124th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.16
Dittmar,P2252Uhl,M21160–12018D364th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.17
Kornitzky,T2112Jaracz,B2246½–½2018D104th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.18
Curien,N2204De Vita,G20360–12018D004th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.19
Colombo,R2125Lorscheid,G22000–12018C414th Chessfestival Gredine 20184.20
Santos Latasa,J2567Praggnanandhaa R2529½–½2018C784th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.1
Kveinys,A2519Saric,I2685½–½2018D764th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.2
Moroni,L2549Pruijssers,R2514½–½2018A184th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.3
Jaracz,P2467Vocaturo,D26080–12018C734th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.4
Borgo,G2397Tarlev,K25520–12018B444th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.5
Sonis,F2448Kindermann,S25061–02018C074th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.6
Gholami,A2490Volkov,D23341–02018A494th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.7
Herzog,A2344Kumar,N22860–12018A474th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.8
Lorscheid,G2200Tan,J2484½–½2018D314th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.9
Landi,A2198Solomon,K2419½–½2018C954th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.10
Uhl,M2116Bertagnolli,A23980–12018B224th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.11
Hecht,H2327Podetti,D21861–02018E124th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.12
De Vita,G2036Vaishali R2310½–½2018B534th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.13
Sarkar,J2297Riebel,W21131–02018D634th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.14
Fischer,D2263Seyb,D21790–12018B064th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.15
Chennaoui,Y2002Thiel,T2261½–½2018A124th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.16
Jaracz,B2246Voltolini,G2150½–½2018C064th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.17
Molina,F2212Behling,R21281–02018D004th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.18
Movileanu,D2199Kornitzky,T2112½–½2018B014th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.19
Wiesinger,R2199Cappelletto,J2000½–½2018B064th Chessfestival Gredine 20185.20
Vocaturo,D2608Santos Latasa,J2567½–½2018E084th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.1
Pruijssers,R2514Saric,I26850–12018B064th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.2
Tarlev,K2552Kveinys,A2519½–½2018C434th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.3
Kumar,N2286Moroni,L2549½–½2018D304th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.4
Praggnanandhaa R2529Gholami,A24901–02018A504th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.5
Bertagnolli,A2398Sonis,F2448½–½2018A064th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.6
Seyb,D2179Hecht,H2327½–½2018B084th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.7
Kindermann,S2506Sarkar,J22971–02018A454th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.8
Tan,J2484Molina,F22120–12018C414th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.9
Landi,A2198Jaracz,P2467½–½2018B224th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.10
Solomon,K2419Lorscheid,G2200½–½2018E614th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.11
Moroder,S2183Borgo,G23970–12018C114th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.12
Volkov,D2334Arne,M21811–02018C454th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.13
Vaishali R2310Chennaoui,Y20021–02018C424th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.14
Movileanu,D2199De Vita,G20361–02018B424th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.15
Voltolini,G2150Herzog,A2344½–½2018D124th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.16
Schnelzer,R2182Fischer,D2263½–½2018D374th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.17
Thiel,T2261Zenari,M21771–02018A454th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.18
Stelzer,H2227Wecker,M21430–12018B474th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.19
Curien,N2204Uhl,M21161–02018D004th Chessfestival Gredine 20186.20
Saric,I2685Praggnanandhaa R2529½–½2018C784th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.1
Santos Latasa,J2567Tarlev,K2552½–½2018C954th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.2
Sonis,F2448Vocaturo,D2608½–½2018A874th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.3
Kveinys,A2519Kumar,N2286½–½2018E544th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.4
Moroni,L2549Volkov,D23341–02018E634th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.5
Borgo,G2397Pruijssers,R25140–12018B014th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.6
Hecht,H2327Kindermann,S2506½–½2018A104th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.7
Gholami,A2490Vaishali R23100–12018D004th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.8
Molina,F2212Bertagnolli,A23981–02018A454th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.9
Jaracz,P2467Seyb,D21791–02018B004th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.10
Wiesinger,R2199Solomon,K24191–02018C454th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.11
Sarkar,J2297Movileanu,D21991–02018D814th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.12
Johnsen,G2188Thiel,T22610–12018D144th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.13
Wecker,M2143Curien,N22040–12018E054th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.14
Lorscheid,G2200Landi,A2198½–½2018D454th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.15
Arne,M2181Tan,J24840–12018C024th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.16
Fischer,D2263Voltolini,G21501–02018C064th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.17
De Vita,G2036Dittmar,P22520–12018B184th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.18
Jaracz,B2246Lumachi,G19890–12018C654th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.19
Dev,S1997Podetti,D2186½–½2018D024th Chessfestival Gredine 20187.20
Saric,I2685Santos Latasa,J25671–02018B904th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.1
Praggnanandhaa R2529Moroni,L25491–02018C604th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.2
Vocaturo,D2608Vaishali R2310½–½2018B514th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.3
Tarlev,K2552Molina,F22121–02018A114th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.4
Pruijssers,R2514Kveinys,A25191–02018C244th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.5
Kumar,N2286Sonis,F24480–12018D234th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.6
Thiel,T2261Kindermann,S25060–12018C124th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.7
Sarkar,J2297Jaracz,P24671–02018B804th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.8
Curien,N2204Hecht,H23270–12018B064th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.9
Fischer,D2263Wiesinger,R21991–02018C544th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.10
Landi,A2198Gholami,A24900–12018B224th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.11
Seyb,D2179Tan,J24840–12018B014th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.12
Hoffmann,S2105Borgo,G23970–12018C014th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.14
Lumachi,G1989Herzog,A2344½–½2018C184th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.15
Dittmar,P2252Moroder,S2183½–½2018B514th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.16
Volkov,D2334Solomon,K2419½–½2018B814th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.17
Movileanu,D2199Dev,S19971–02018C554th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.18
Podetti,D2186Riebel,W21131–02018B284th Chessfestival Gredine 20188.20
Sonis,F2448Saric,I26850–12018E114th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.1
Pruijssers,R2514Praggnanandhaa,R25290–12018C784th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.2
Moroni,L2549Tarlev,K25520–12018D314th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.3
Kindermann,S2506Vocaturo,D26080–12018B214th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.4
Vaishali,R-Santos Latasa,J25670–12018B404th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.5
Hecht,H2327Sarkar,J22970–12018D964th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.6
Kveinys,A2519Fischer,D19261–02018D004th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.7
Gholami,A2490Kumar,N22861–02018A474th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.8
Tan,J2281Zucchelli,M20891–02018D304th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.9
Molina,F2212Borgo,G23970–12018D024th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.10
Jaracz,P2467Podetti,D2186½–½2018E124th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.11
Herzog,A2344Movileanu,D21991–02018D024th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.12
Wiesinger,R2199Volkov,D2334½–½2018B514th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.13
Moroder,S2183Thiel,T2261½–½20184th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.14
Wecker,M2143Dittmar,P22521–02018D214th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.15
Lumachi,G1989Curien,N2204½–½2018C134th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.16
Solomon,K2419Colombo,R21251–02018A584th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.17
Jaracz,B2246Seyb,D21791–02018C034th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.18
Zenari,M2177Landi,A21980–12018C144th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.19
Johnsen,G2188Hoffmann,S2067½–½2018D134th Chessfestival Gredine 20189.20

Standings after eight rounds

Rk. Name Pts.  TB1 
1 Saric Ivan 6,5 36,5
2 Praggnanandhaa R 6,5 36,5
3 Sonis Francesco 6,0 32,5
4 Santos Latasa Jaime 5,5 38,0
5 Moroni Luca Jr 5,5 33,5
6 Kindermann Stefan 5,5 33,5
7 Hecht Hans-Joachim 5,5 33,0
8 Pruijssers Roeland 5,0 36,0
9 Tarlev Konstantin 5,0 35,5
10 Vocaturo Daniele 5,0 35,0

Links

Sagar is an International Master from India with two GM norms. He loves to cover chess tournaments, as that helps him understand and improve at the game he loves so much. He is the co-founder and CEO of ChessBase India, the biggest chess news portal in the country. His YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, and to date close to a billion views. ChessBase India is the sole distributor of ChessBase products in India and seven adjoining countries, where the software is available at a 60% discount. compared to International prices.

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satman satman 6/26/2018 01:50
Without taking anything away from this boy's achievement, it seems to me that the GM title has been watered down over the years, while the method of acquiring it, through a series of 'norms' is quite outdated, going back to the days before the Elo rating system.
Today we not only have the Elo system, we have the international rating list published at regular intervals and we have the live ratings.
I suggest we can use these to greatly simplify the awarding of titles.
Specifically a player would receive the GM title if at any time his live rating hit that of the one at the 100th position in the latest international rating list (currently 2652).
He wouldn't need to maintain that grade, just having hit it once would be enough.
This would ensure that the player really had performed at a high level - a grandmaster level.
Also rating inflation would be accounted for, as of course the rating of the 100th position is higher in each new list.
100th too high? You could make it 200th.
Whatever level, it would make for a simpler and better system then the current one.
turok turok 6/26/2018 01:37
really when did Fischer FADE??? He won the world championship-if he did nothing else in his life he accomplished just about everything in Chess. When did he give it up in his life-we know never. Chess was his life. His mental illness caused his issues. He did not fade he excelled and was the top of the world and even to this day is considered by most as the best ever.
fgkdjlkag fgkdjlkag 6/25/2018 06:46
@Marselos, titles in karate are not given based on experience, one may only take a test when deemed ready by the sensei, and one must demonstrate proficiency in kata.
Chand_uma Chand_uma 6/25/2018 12:01
Congratulations Praggu we are all proud of you
EMeyer EMeyer 6/24/2018 10:32
Amazing! Congrats! India must be proud!
fons3 fons3 6/24/2018 12:59
Define "genius".
Kenster Kenster 6/24/2018 11:52
Nice one! Congratulations Prag!
amarpan amarpan 6/24/2018 07:49
@fgkdjlkag I agree with you. In fact his rematch with Spassky clearly indicated that he remained a genius after all those years.
fgkdjlkag fgkdjlkag 6/24/2018 06:56
There is nothing to suggest that Fischer's genius faded away.
Marselos Marselos 6/24/2018 06:46
Once time only a genius became GM when he was a boy, he did not need experience.
Today a 3 ,4, years normal child is in front of the computer, becomes a GM at 12. 13. 14 years .
I say :it is nothing special, it is certainly annoying.
World change, informations change, let's change.
Marselos Marselos 6/24/2018 06:35
There is something deeply wrong.
We change the categories.
We leave the elo and we give the titles, by experience, as in Karate.
no GM with pacifier.
amarpan amarpan 6/24/2018 06:05
@shahram I am aware that Negi went to Stanford and is now in MIT. He has also authored books on chess over the years. That still does not change the fact that he faded away from the chess scene. It is not unusual for young achievers, in any field not just chess, to realize this is not what they want to do for the rest of their lives and they take up something else. This happened to Kamsky as well who gave up chess, went on to study law and later made a successful come back into the chess scene. And yes, sometimes "Genius" does fade away, if your aware of the life of Bobby Fischer ......
ulyssesganesh ulyssesganesh 6/24/2018 05:47
best wishes for praggananda....
VVI VVI 6/24/2018 12:27
Finally, he makes it. Congratulations! Now on to next milestone.
shahram48 shahram48 6/23/2018 11:52
@amarpan Negi made a conscious choice of not pursuing professional chess for rest of his life, I remember there was an article about it on ChessBase at the time. He got a degree from Stanford and right now is a Ph.D. student at computer science at MIT. Genius doesn't in general fade away, it's just that different people have different priorities in their life, and clearly dedicating his whole life to chess and openings and end games and etc... was not Negi's top priority.
amarpan amarpan 6/23/2018 09:45
Parimarjan Negi, third this list simply faded away after some time. On the other hand, Anish Giri, Weseley So and Fabiano Caruana all around the same age as Negi are playing at the highest level and are not in this list of youngest GMs. Time will tell how far Praggnanandhaa will go.
KevinC KevinC 6/23/2018 07:59
He won in the 8th round and is now tied for 1st in the tournament.
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