Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday congratulated Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa on making it to the final of the FIDE Chess World Cup and said that more than a billion Indians are cheering for him.
Continuing his dream run, Praggnanandhaa on Monday stunned world No.3 Fabiano Caruana 3.5-2.5 via the tie-break in the semifinals to set up a summit clash with world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway at the FIDE World Cup chess tournament in Azerbaijan's Baku.
After the two-game classical series ended 1-1, the 18-year-old Indian prodigy outlasted the highly-rated American GM in a battle of wits in a nerve-wracking tie-breaker.
In a post on X, Gandhi said, 'Congratulations to R Praggnanandhaa for an outstanding FIDE Chess World Cup journey to the Finals. My best wishes for the title match against Magnus Carlsen.' 'More than a billion Indians are cheering for you,' he said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also congratulated Praggnanandhaa for making it to the final of the FIDE Chess World Cup.
'Best wishes for the big match ahead,' she said.