Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa made the entire India proud as went as far as the final of the FIDE Chess World Cup. At the age of 18 years, Praggnanandhaa became the youngest Indian to have played in a Chess World Cup final, where he lost to World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a tie-breaker. After Praggnanandhaa returned home, he received a grand welcome in Chennai and also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a medi interaction, Praggnanandhaa gave insights into his chat with PM Modi during the meeting.
It wasn't just chess that PM Modi and Praggnanadhaa discussed during the meet, with the latter revealing that cricket was also discussed. Picking his favourite player, Praggnanandhaa took the name of India's veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
"PM Modi made me very comfortable. He asked me about my training, my father's job etc. I enjoyed interacting with him". He also said apart from Chess he follows cricket and if he had to pick one favourite player, it would be Ashwin.
Sharing details about his fitness regime, and food habits, Praggnanandhaa revealed that he does yoga and meditation. When it comes to food, Indian delicacies are his favourite.
"I practice yoga and meditation to improve concentration: Praggnanandhaa. Before a game, I prefer eating Indian food. It is something that I enjoy. Preferably home food so my mother cooks for me. Praggnanandhaa," he said.
Praggnanandhaa was accompanied by his mother during the Chess World Cup in Baku. While others may struggle to know what goes on in Praggnanadhaa's mind during games, his mother knows exactly what situation her son is in.
"People who know me well can figure out my game position from my face. My mother can definitely figure it out: Praggnanandhaa
"My mother's support is very important for me. It is emotional support as well. My mother takes care of everything, family support is very important, I can't express in words how important it is," he said.
"I watch movies when I want to relax," Praggnanandhaa further revealed.