I will plan the celebration after the tournament: Teenaged Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa

Indian grandmaster 16-year old R Praggnanandhaa stunned world champion Magnus Carlsen in the eighth round of the Airthings Masters online rapid chess tournament on Sunday. The teen is only the third from the country to clinch a victory over the Norwegian superstar. Here is what he had to say after the splendid win.

What was your initial reaction after the win?
The win came as a surprise and I was very happy with the win. I did not expect to win against the world champion. It gave me huge confidence to play better in the tournament.

How are you planning to celebrate?
As of now, I don’t have any plans to celebrate since the tournament is on. I really want to focus on that. After it is over, we’ll see what we can do. But first, the tournament must go well.

What will be your message to the young chess players?

My message to my fellow players will be to enjoy chess and play. Do not just think about the result. That’s what I did against world champion Magnus Carlsen in the game. I think that really worked out well for me.

What’s next?
My goal is to play good chess and try to be better each day. I want to improve my game in general and also to increase my rating.