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The News
Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen won his first World Cup on Thursday, defeating 18-year-old Indian prodigy, Rameshbabu “Pragg” Praggnanandhaa. While he didn’t walk away with the top trophy, Pragg made history as the youngest and lowest-seeded player to ever reach the finals.
SIGNALS
The world of chess “is on the verge of seeing a generational shift,” Devangshu Datta writes.• 1 “And, that shift is likely to heavily favour India.” Pragg was part of a group of young players from India and other countries who “made a huge impression” at the tournament. The game is especially progressing among the next generation because “we have more qualified trainers as grand masters and good players are becoming teachers themselves,” Pragg’s coach said last year.• 2
Times of India, Why we must brag about Prag
Within India, chess has been booming in popularity since the pandemic, with Pragg “at the heart of it all.”• 3 But the sport still lacks proper structure to support promising young Indian players, Susan Ninan argues. “It’s still a bunch of plucky parents who’ve quit jobs, put chess above school for their kids ... and are travelling to tournaments with their 8-15-year-olds.”• 4
The Indian Express, Despite defeat to Carlsen in Chess World Cup final, Pragg showed that the future could belong to him
The Indian Express, Praggnanandhaa’s journey: What it takes to be a global chess star
Carlsen, arguably the best player of all time, notched his first World Cup win after a tumultuous year. Last fall, he accused young American grandmaster Hans Niemann of cheating after Niemann beat him at a tournament, prompting Carlsen to withdraw from the event entirely.• 5 The accusation prompted an investigation and sparked a global scandal for the sport. Niemann later sued Carlsen, but the suit was dismissed in June.• 6
The Wall Street Journal, Magnus Carlsen Breaks His Silence on Chess Cheating Scandal
The Wall Street Journal, Hans Niemann’s $100 Million Lawsuit Over Chess Cheating Allegations Is Dismissed