Praggnanandhaa is his own man, he's handling himself mostly: coach Ramesh
Chennai (PTI): Teenaged Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa is breaking new grounds in the the Chess World Cup, scalping higher-rated opponents one after the other, but he is "handling himself mostly" as far as the nuances of the game are concerned.
Praggnanandhaa is on his own at the Azerbaijan capital of Baku as his personal coach RB Ramesh is away in another country. His mother Nagalakshmi is looking after him but not for matters relating to the tactics of the game.
"He (Praggnanandhaa) is handling himself mostly. I am just chatting on WhatsApp with him," Ramesh, himself a Grandmaster, told PTI.
"Praggnanandhaa is following a routine like sleeping nine hours at night, not skipping any meal, walking in the evening after the game and preparing four hours before the match (es)."
Despite the absence of a personal coach on tour, Praggnanandhaa has only got better with each match and overcome nerve-wracking tie-breaks, including the one against talented compatriot Arjun Erigaisi.
He has been on a roll, beating top stars like Hikaru Nakamura (world No.2) and Fabiano Caruana (world No.3) on way to the summit clash.
By becoming the only Indian player after legendary Viswanathan Anand to book a spot in the Candidates tournament, the 18-year-old wonderkid from Chennai has proved that he will be the name to reckon with in future.
Grandmaster M Shyam Sundar, who is in Baku as the coach of the Indian contingent, said the players in general have their own routine and he was keeping them in good spirits through various activities.
"Players in general here have their own routine and have their own team helping in different parts of the world. I go for walks, play table tennis with them to keep them in good spirits, arrange good food for them, provide personal care to them and have casual discussions about the game," Sundar said.
He said whenever his wards play tie-breaks, he would be in the playing hall, watch their games and make himself available throughout in case the players want some last minute discussions.
Sundar said the presence of his mother Nagalakshmi is a huge support for Praggnanandhaa and that is evident in his performance.
Praggnanandhaa too had said during the course of the World Cup that his mother has been a calming influence on him.
"Definitely good to have someone here. My mother is always supportive! Even after losing games, she was just trying to calm me down," he said.
"It's good to have someone rooting for you here, and for me my mother is a big support - not only for me, for my sister as well."
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Three private doctors arrested in illegal scanning case involving 31 minor pregnant girls in KR Pet
Mandya: Police on Tuesday arrested three private doctors in connection with a case involving alleged illegal scanning of 31 minor pregnant girls at a private diagnostic centre in KR Pet. The accused were later remanded to judicial custody.
The arrested doctors have been identified as Dr. Divyachetan of Chetana Maternity Centre, Dr. Harshit of Navi Diagnostic Centre, and Dr. Harish of Kushal Diagnostic Centre.
Police said Priyanka, a gynaecologist attached to a government hospital, is absconding and efforts are under way to trace her.
The case came to light after Karnataka Lokayukta Police recently conducted raids, during which illegal sex determination tests on minor pregnant girls were allegedly detected at two diagnostic centres in KR Pet town.
Following the raids, District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr. Mohan, Deputy Director of the Women and Child Development Department P.S. Asha, and District Child Protection Officer Rashmi inspected several diagnostic centres and filed cases at KR Pet Town and Rural police stations.
According to the allegations, Navi Diagnostic Centre conducted scans on 24 minor pregnant girls, including 19 cases in 2024 and five in 2025. Kushal Diagnostic Centre is accused of conducting scans on seven minor pregnant girls.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Kumar has directed taluk vigilance committees to inspect all 63 ultrasound scanning centres in the district and submit reports within 10 days.
Officials said the Tahsildar of each taluk has been appointed chairperson of the respective committee.
