GM Peter Svidler said of Pragg, the first player he had ever coached, during the Global Chess League: “It’s like having a lottery ticket.”

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GM Peter Svidler said of Pragg, the first player he had ever coached, during the Global Chess League: Svidler claims that RB Ramesh, Praggnanandhaa’s coach, contacted him about mentoring the Indian prodigy. “Ramesh is totally unselfish. He has a strong emotional stake in Pragg’s success, according to Svidler.

Indian Express at Global Chess League: 'Pragg being first player I ever coach is like having 'lottery ticket'' – GM Peter Svidler | Chess News - The Indian Express

Peter Svidler, the eight-time Russian chess champion, recalls getting a text message from RB Ramesh in late 2022. The Indian coach, who developed several of the country’s greatest talents, including R Praggnanandhaa, R Vaishali, and Arvindh Chithambaram, presented Svidler with an intriguing offer that the Russian compares to receiving a lottery ticket.

Was Svidler willing to tutor Pragg? was the question Ramesh posed. In the Indian athletic milieu, where many Indian coaches tend to hang on to athletes from their youth days to the elite level, this action was unusual.

“Ramesh has a strong desire to see Pragg reach his full potential as a chess player. In this way, Ramesh especially exemplifies selflessness. Svidler, whose opinions and observations are frequently listened to for their unique details, states, “He does not want to be the one and only coach for the rest of Pragg’s career.”

In terms of Pragg’s delegation, Svidler fit Ramesh’s objectives really well. Ramesh aspires to establish a setting conducive to advancement. Therefore, he will do whatever he thinks would be helpful for that. We’ve visited a couple camps together, thus this is to be expected of Ramesh based on what I know about him. The FuGenTimes is being informed by Svidler, who is presently in London competing in the Global Chess League for the upGrad Mumba Masters, that “he is incredibly emotionally invested in helping Pragg succeed and he is a very generous person.”

Svidler acknowledges that when he received the text message, he was immediately taken aback. After all, he had never served as a coach before. The 48-year-old wears multiple hats, most obviously as a commentator on tournament broadcasts besides still being an active player.

“After receiving a communication from Ramesh, I reasoned that it would be prudent to attempt something new. And it’s evident that this is a lottery ticket: Pragg is the first person who genuinely wants to learn from you. He is certainly incredibly talented. Making the choice was quite simple, according to Svidler.

Raising a gifted kid presents special difficulties. In all honesty, Svidler continues, “I like to coach, but I’m not precisely sure what I’m doing. It’s a little unclear. I’m still getting used to it. Pragg is essentially the first person I have trained. It’s a wise place to begin. But what do you teach him? That’s another huge challenge. He clarifies, “He already knows quite a bit.

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