Mumbai, Dec 12 In a nearly decade-long career as a player, Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has never witnessed a stampede-like situation at a chess venue.
As a teenager, the 20-year-old World No. 7 has attended numerous chess events with former and current stars. But what he experienced on Friday at the District Sports Club near Dharavi in Mumbai was a unique experience for him.
Pragg was in Mumbai to attend the one-day Dharavi Chess Championship 2025, organised by the Navbharat Mega Developers and Adani Group, for school children from Dharavi, which is transforming through a development project.
The 20-year-old from Chennai was mobbed by the 450-odd students from 30 schools from Dharavi and the nearby Sion Koliwada area, and the organisers had to call in security enforcements to rescue Pragg, one of India's biggest chess stars, who has recently qualified for the upcoming Candidates 2026.
The enthusiasm of the kids was a pleasant surprise for the chess maestro. "It was a pleasant surprise. It's an amazing event. So much excitement from the kids for a chess tournament, and the game of chess is amazing to see. They all look very inspired, which is really good to see," Praggananandhaa told IANS on Friday.
On Friday, every word that Pragg uttered was cheered by his excited fans, his every move keenly watched; he was mobbed by the children who surged towards the dias just to meet him, breaking the makeshift barricades put by the organisers. A celebrity in his own right, Pragg must have heard of such mobbing of movie stars by their fans; it was the first time he experienced it.
Also, it was the first time the students were meeting a chess grandmaster, and therefore their excitement knew no bounds.
The atmosphere was palpable and inspiring for Pragg too, as their presence reminded him of his early days as a chess player and his school days in Chennai. He said so in his brief address to the participants as he wished them luck in their endeavors.
It was a dream come true for Shivam Chaurasiya, who won the senior category of the Dharavi Chess Championship on Friday, as he met his chess idol and received his prize from Praggnanandhaa.
"I have seen their photographs on the Internet, but this was the first time that I have met a chess grandmaster. He is so approachable," said the Class 9 student of Guru Nanak National High School.
Just like Pragg, Shivam also hails from a humble background; his parents run a small leather goods manufacturing business in Dharavi, the likes of which are spread across the densely populated locality, at one time famous across the world as Asia's biggest slum.
A self-taught chess player, Shivam competed in his first chess tournament and was obviously elated by his performance.
"We never have such events in our locality. This is the first time that I am participating in such an event. I hope with the development of Dharavi, we will have more such events," he told IANS on the sidelines of the event.
Besides playing in a chess tournament, Shivam and fellow winners of the senior and junior categories of the Dharavi Chess Festival also got an opportunity to participate in a chess game with GM Praggnanandhaa during a 10-player simul.
"Meeting him was a memorable experience. We don't get such chances. No meeting sports stars and playing with them. He is very nice," said Sumit, a class 20 student of the same school who finished second behind Shivam in the senior section.
Both hoped that they would get more such opportunities, as the kids played well despite never getting any type of coaching in chess.
While Shivam and Sumit finished first and second in the seniors,
As Navbharat Mega Developers and Adani Group go ahead with the development of Dharavi, they hope there will be more such events organised in their locality.
The Dharavi Chess Championship was organised by the Adani Group to enforce the Group’s strong focus on promoting sports at the grassroots level.
More such events will help in the social development of Dharavi along with its physical transformation.
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