India's youngest chess grandmaster, R Praggnanandhaa, expressed his gratitude to industrialist Anand Mahindra for gifting him an electric car. Mahindra's generous gesture followed his earlier tweet encouraging parents to support their children in playing chess. Praggnanandhaa's victory over Ding Liren on January 16 was hailed as a remarkable feat in the chess world, elevating him to the status of a rising star in the sport.
In a social media post, Praggnanandhaa expressed his gratitude for receiving the XUV 400 electric car, stating, "My parents are very happy. Thank you very much Anand Mahindra, sir."
In a post on X in August 2023, Anand Mahindra expressed his desire to encourage parents to introduce their children to chess and support them as they pursue this cerebral game. "It's an investment in a better future for our planet, just like EVs. And so, I think we should gift an XUV4OO EV to the parents of Praggnanandhaa - Shrimati Nagalakshmi and Shri Rameshbabu, who deserve our gratitude for nurturing their son's passion and for giving him their untiring support," the post read.
Praggnanandhaa's social media post garnered significant attention with over 100.4k views, with many users applauding Mahindra's generosity and expressing their congratulations to the young chess sensation and his parents. One user commented, "That's awesome! Congrats to your parents on the new XUV 400! Sir surely knows how to spread happiness."
At just 18 years old, Praggnanandhaa has already cemented his position as the highest-ranked Indian classical chess player, surpassing the legendary Viswanathan Anand. Notably, he clinched victory against reigning world champion Ding Liren. However, he faced defeat against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen at the Chess World Cup final in August 2023.
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