India has become a major power in international chess led by its highest-ranked player, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. He's No. 4 in the world, one place above compatriots Gukesh Dommaraju, the current world champion, and Arjun Erigaisi, who are tied for fifth.
Praggnanandhaa, who will celebrate his 20th birthday on Sunday, has an ambition to be the best. Beating the current No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in 2022, when Praggnanandhaa was congratulated by India cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, was an early sign that his ambition is realistic.
“I can become world No. 1 and world champion,” he told The Associated Press.
He said the presence of his Indian compatriots near the top of the rankings helps.
“We all push each other. Gukesh winning the world championship inspired me to push myself. We are growing together and it’s good for all of us," he said.
At 12 years and 10 months, ‘Pragg’ became one of the youngest-ever grand masters, the title awarded to exceptional players by the world's chess federation.
“I think (in India) all of us have these common traits that I think comes from the Indian background. I think we are all, hard-working and we focus on improving more, rather than results ... but it is an individual sport, so people have their own strengths and weaknesses.”
In 2023, he was praised by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi for beating the second- and third-ranked players to make it to the World Cup final — India accounted for four of the last eight in the tournament — where he was beaten by Carlsen.
He has come a long way since he first picked up chess pieces at the age of five to play against his sister — Vaishali Rameshbabu is a double youth champion — at home, never imagining that he would one day be recognized in the streets of his hometown Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu that has been at the center of the chess explosion.
Before 2000, India had three grand masters but has produced over 80 since, with 30 coming from the southern state alone.
The most famous was the godfather of Indian chess. Viswanathan Anand became a grand master in 1988 as a teenager and went on to win five world championships. “We started playing chess when Anand was world champion,” said Praggnanandhaa. “He inspired all of us.”
Having a star at the top was helped by healthy grassroots competition in Chennai.
“There were lots of local events happening every weekend and the players were really strong," he said. "I was always playing in higher categories, so when I was playing my age category, I was just already way stronger because of that experience.”
When players reach a certain level, resources are needed. For those not from wealthy backgrounds, the private as well as the public sector can help young talents turn a hobby into a career.
There may be more money in the future due to digital world getting involved in one of the most ancient of games. Praggnanandhaa competed at the esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia in July, the first edition to feature chess.
Over 30,000 fans watched this faster version of the game online.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for chess players and a new avenue,” Praggnanandhaa said.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
FILE - Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, of India, left, focuses during his game with Tissir Mohamed, of Morocco, at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, on Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan has resigned after six seasons, opting to step aside rather than work with a new front office, the team announced Tuesday.
President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf made it clear after firing executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley near the end of the season that he wanted Donovan to remain on the job. He said anyone who wanted to bring in a new coach was “probably not the right candidate for us.”
Now, it looks like whoever the Bulls hire to run their organization will get that opportunity.
“While we clearly wanted Billy to return as our head coach, we had open dialogue about the importance of respecting the process of bringing in new basketball operations leadership," Reinsdorf said in a news release. “Together, we mutually agreed that giving that person the freedom to shape the organization was the best approach for everyone involved.”
The 60-year-old Donovan consistently has said he still has a passion for coaching. The decision to leave the Bulls was made “after a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization,” Donovan said in the team release announcing the move.
“I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls, to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit,” he said.
Donovan was arguably the top candidate on the market when the Bulls hired him in September 2020, a few months after Karnisovas and Eversley got their jobs.
Chicago’s lone playoff appearance since all three were hired came during the 2021-22 season, when it finished sixth in the Eastern Conference at 46-36 and got knocked out by Milwaukee in the first round. The Bulls lost in the play-in tournament the next three years.
Donovan got a contract extension last offseason. Reinsdorf said after firing Karnisovas and Eversley that the problem was the roster construction — not the coach.
Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Michael's father, praised Donovan for the “class and genuine care” that he brought to the organization.
“We wanted Billy to continue as our head coach — that was never in question,” Jerry Reinsdorf said. “But through honest conversations, we all agreed that giving our new head of basketball operations the right to build out his staff was the most important thing for the future of this franchise. That is the kind of person Billy is — he put the Bulls first.”
Karnisovas’ inability to land a franchise cornerstone player and refusal to give the Bulls a better shot at the No. 1 pick by rebuilding were glaring. He finally changed course before this year’s trade deadline, dealing Nikola Vucevic to Boston, Kevin Huerter to Detroit, Coby White to Charlotte and Chicago product Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota. The Bulls loaded up on second-round draft picks and did not get any first-rounders in return.
One of the players Chicago got in return was Jaden Ivey from Detroit. Chicago waived him following anti-LGBTQ+ comments about religion he made in videos posted on his Instagram account.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Chicago Bulls' Collin Sexton talks with Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan during a time out in an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Albert Pena)
Chicago Bulls Head Coach Billy Donovan gives directions during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Chicago, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, left, talks with guard Mac McClung (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Chicago, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan shouts instructions during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
