No Netflix, Cooking Alone in Netherlands: The Sacrifices behind Praggnanandha's assured rise in Chess

Praggnanandha, the teenage chess sensation will be up against Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE Chess World Cup Final on Tuesday (August 22). The 18-year-old has made a sublime rise in the tournament and will now be dreaming to topple Carlsen in the mega event.

The youngster's sensational journey to becoming a grandmaster at the age of 13 is rosy to listen to, but it requires a lot of effort and sacrifices to reach where he has reached. Praggnandha's coach RB Ramesh opened up recently on his disciple's amazing journey, and he revealed a few insights into Pragg's journey.

In an interview with The New Indian Express, Ramesh opened up on how a 15-year-old Praggnanandha adapted to alien conditions in the Netherlands. The player was invited to play in the TATA Steel Masters in 2021 and he was accompanied with Ramesh. But upon arrival in the Netherlands, Ramesh was found COVID positive and that changed the whole complexion for Pragg.

"I got COVID the day I reached there. I was quarantined in a different room and Pragg had to stay alone. He had to learn cooking by himself and commuting to the playing hall, staying alone, it was the first time he was doing that and it was happening in the middle of a big event. He coped very well with the adaptation," Ramesh said in an adaptation.

Ramesh says upon seeing how well Pragg managed being alone at such a tender age, he instructed the young grandmaster to follow a strict routine and abide by that himself without any supervision.

"When you are alone, it is very easy to watch a series, or play video games. But he has the willpower and he sleeps around 10 to 10:30 pm. We have a very healthy routine and he follows that," he added.

Pragg's coach also confirmed that he imposes a strict internet policy on the youngster, and the player himself only uses the internet for chess purposes. He says the player has the knowledge of not indulging himself in social media or the internet, as he believes these things can hinder his dream of becoming a World Champion.

"He knew if he gets into the mess of social media and others, he can say goodbye to his chess aspirations. So, he has had the willpower and discipline to keep himself away from all this. Even now, he doesn't have any video games or Netflix on his mobile phone," Pragg's coach further said.