The Airthings Masters online rapid chess tournament was a news of joy and pride for the Indians. A 16 year old Indian boy named R Praggnanandhaa defeated his own hero, Magnus Carlsen who was World No.1.

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Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is one of the most popular chess players in India or you can easily call him a grandmaster because he is a chess prodigy. He is the fifth-youngest person ever to achieve the title of Grandmaster (GM).

Praggnanandhaa won the World Youth Chess Championships Under-8 title in 2013, earning him the title of FIDE Master at the age of 7. He won the Under-10 title in 2015. In 2016, Praggnanandhaa became the youngest international master in history, at the age of 10.

This win for his an challenging one. It was his “I can’t believe it” moment, the moment that was always a part of his wildest dream. Norwegian World No 1 Magnus Carlsen, was always his idol. “Beating him once is my biggest dream,” he had told this newspaper soon after becoming the second youngest Grandmaster in the world four years ago. “He (Carlsen) has a solution for even the most complicated problem,” he had explained.

That he’s just the third Indian, after Viswanathan Anand and P Harikrishna, to accomplish the rare feat of beating Carlsen. He toppled him in 39 moves and with black pieces, a perceived handicap in the game, brightens the dazzle of his victory.