New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) Fresh from becoming the first Indian Grandmaster to win the prestigious Norway Chess title, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa believes victories often overshadow the lessons learned from defeat. Reflecting on his battles against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, the 20-year-old said every encounter with the Norwegian great has helped shape his growth as a player.

The 20-year-old from Chennai completed a remarkable comeback after being placed last in the standings after six rounds, winning four consecutive games to surge into title contention. His campaign included two victories over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and a crucial win over reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju.

Praggnanandhaa sealed the title with a victory over Germany’s Vincent Keymer in the final round, finishing on 18 points and ahead of American Grandmaster Wesley So. The triumph is widely regarded as one of the finest achievements of his young career.

In an exclusive interaction with IANS, Praggnanandhaa spoke about his remarkable comeback in Norway, handling pressure, learning from mistakes, and the confidence gained from one of the biggest victories of his career.

IANS: Six rounds into the tournament, you were at the bottom of the standings. At what exact moment did you stop thinking about survival in the tournament and start believing you could actually win it?

Praggnanandhaa: Once, I mean, I bet earlier that I felt a lot more in control in that game. And then I felt there was an outside chance I could get to the top, but I still had to cross the big hurdle of Magnus in the next round. So I was focused on that. And then, you know, the opponents are also fighting, so I knew I could get my chances if I played well. So once I beat Magnus, it gave me a lot of confidence, and I felt that I could actually do it. And then, you know, I also needed things to go my way. There were moments that went my way. But I think when you play well, sometimes you do get this luck at the right moment.

IANS: You’ve beaten Magnus Carlsen a few times now, but is there a game you lost against him that taught you more than any of those wins?

Praggnanandhaa: No, I have lost so many times that I think only the wins get a lot of attention. But I think, you know, he is, I mean, such a great player that every time I play with him, I always learn a lot. And he is someone that I have, you know, grown up watching his game, and the way he has dominated the chess world for the last 15 years is just amazing. I mean, even now, whenever he plays a tournament, he is the favourite to win, and he ends up winning most of the tournaments. He’s probably still the best. And it’s something I’ve always wanted: to win a tournament when he is playing, because he usually wins most of them.

IANS: Looking back, which game best represents the chess you wanted to play in this tournament, regardless of the result?

Praggnanandhaa: Yeah, I’ll say the last two games were quite good quality. I felt a lot more in control. I don’t think I made any mistakes as such. And also, winning those games in the final games is always high-pressure. So, I think playing a controlled game in such a situation is something I always want to do. But, you know, to have it happen is a special thing.

IANS: You were competing against some of the best. Did you approach certain opponents differently, or was your preparation built around your own strengths throughout the event?

Praggnanandhaa: In every game, you sort of try different opening strategies and so on. But I think overall, I wanted to play my best. I wanted to play good-quality chess. I think I managed to do that. I mean, in general, I think that at some point in every game, I started to feel like I was pushing. So, that shows that I, like, none of the games, I was completely in a defensive mode. So that’s a good thing. And, you know, playing good-quality chess is what I wanted to do. And I’m happy that I managed to do it.

IANS: When you’re sitting at the board after making a mistake, what does the conversation inside your head sound like? Is it emotional, analytical, or completely silent?

Praggnanandhaa: It depends on the type of mistake and which game you’re in. I mean, all these things do matter. But in general, I think regretting a mistake is the last thing you want to do in chess. And this is something that always happens to players. You can see mistakes come in pairs because once a mistake is made, players realise they shouldn’t have made it. These thoughts keep coming, and this affects players. And then, you know, you see another mistake. So I think we are all experienced enough not to do this, but it also happens to everyone. So it’s not something that you can avoid all the time. But in general, most of the time, you should just try to forget about the previous move and keep playing what the position demands.

IANS: What does a victory over reigning World Champion Gukesh or World No. 1 Magnus tell you about yourself that a victory over another top grandmaster doesn’t?

Praggnanandhaa: I mean, I wouldn’t really say anything particularly specific, but this victory, of course, has given me a lot of confidence.

“But for me, the special thing is that winning the tournament in such a way shows me that I can do these things, like coming back from a last position and showing up in these clutch moments and doing it. So I think this tournament victory shows me that I can do all these things. That is what I take away from this event.

IANS: You have received immense support from the Adani Group. How important do you think corporate support is, not just for you but for any player or athlete, for that matter?

Praggnanandhaa: The support system is essential to succeeding in any field, and I’m grateful that I’ve received support from the Adani Group. For a chess player, managing all the logistics and everything is certainly an issue, and that’s where the Adani Group’s support is helping me. It feels more like, you know, since they’ve been supporting me, whenever there are any issues, they’re always there to help me and support me.

“So I’m truly grateful to them for all their support, and yeah, I’m happy that, you know, new corporates are coming into the game and supporting players, and I think all the players are always grateful for the support from corporates.

–IANS

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