16-year-old chess prodigy solving problems without even seeing chessboard is blowing people's minds

There is nothing better than witnessing raw talent in sports. Currently, 18-year-old chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is one of the hottest prospects in the competitive board game. At 10, he became an international master and when he turned 12, he became a grandmaster. In a throwback video, the young chess player, then 16, is spotted solving a series of chess problems in his head without looking at a board, according to Modern Met.

In a YouTube video posted by ChessBase India, a chess news portal, the interviewer gave Praggnanandhaa a series of chess problems to solve. The twist- the young chess player had to solve them orally without looking at the board. At the start of the video, the interviewer greeted the player and explained the format of the play. "Today, we're going to do something very interesting. I'm going to give you five positions and you're going to tell me the answers blindfolded."

Without wasting any time, the interviewer started explaining the board set up to Praggnanandhaa. He started by addressing the positions of the king, queen, rook, and so on. The player stood there silently, understanding the board. As soon as the interviewer was done with the problem, Praggnanandhaa gave the answer. 

Following the completion of the first game, the interviewer asked the player if he should tell who is to move first before revealing the position, to which the player agreed. He then continued, with the next problem. The interviewer rapidly fired off a series of chess moves to challenge the young gun. On the other hand, Praggnanandhaa, very calmly, responded to the challenge. He effortlessly responded with moves on his own, capturing the interviewer's imaginary pieces one after another with utmost ease. In a matter of minutes, the chess prodigy solved all five positions.

What makes the video interesting is the fact that chess players often rely on visualizing the board in their minds but it was the chess prodigy who pulled off a blinder-solving position without the aid of physical pieces and took this skill to a whole new level. In the description of the video, the publisher wrote, "Pragg stood there and without a chess board absolutely crushed five positions. It seemed as if Pragg's only complaint after solving the positions was - Why are they so easy!"

In the video, the interviewer included a graphic on the side of the screen to help the audience follow along with the game. Even so, the animated moves go by so fast sometimes that they can be difficult to keep up with. At the end of the short virtual game, the interviewer asked the young boy how he had cracked blindfold chess so easily to which he replied that he owed his success to his training academy and later revealed that he had trained for over 6 years.

Praggnanandhaa is now among the top 15 chess players in the world and is currently competing in the 2024 Candidates Tournament for an opportunity to face off against fellow grandmaster and reigning world champion Ding Liren at the World Chess Championship 2024. At 18, he has already created a massive impact in this sport and could soon move up the ladder to ply his trade with the big guns of the sport.