Mindblowing video shows 16-year-old chess prodigy solving problems without seeing the chessboard

Watching a prodigy at work is always a delight, whether they're solving a complex math problem or playing chess. In a captivating video, 18-year-old Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa effortlessly answers chess queries without glancing at the board, showcasing his exceptional skills and dedication.

His success over the years is a testament to his remarkable skill. Praggnanandhaa started playing chess at a young age. By the time he was 10, he had already become an international master and when he was 12, he was a grandmaster and only the second kid to do so, reports MyModernMet. Now, he is ranked No.16 chess player in the world. He is competing in the 2024 Candidates Tournament with top grandmasters, including world champion Ding Liren. In a video posted on YouTube by ChessBase India, the host first tells Praggnanandhaa that he is going to give him five positions of the chess pieces and he has to answer without a chess board.

"White- King G1, Queen F5, Rook D1, Bishop B1, and Knight F3, Pawns H5, G2, F2, E4, T4, and A2. Black- King G8, Queen E7, Rook D8, Bishop D7, Knight C4, Pawns H6, G7, F7, E5, B5, A6," the person asks. Praggnanandhaa immediately tells the host to move the black piece bishop to C8 and that was the right answer. This goes on and the interviewer kept giving him questions and the renowned young chess player answered without thinking twice. The interviewer was amazed by his skills, a sentiment echoed by the President of India in a tweet.

Toward the end of the game, the host tells the prodigy, “You crushed it” and asks him if it was clear in his head when he was told the position of each chess piece. He responds that it was. So, he was asked how he developed this ability, “When I was young I joined Raman sir’s academy in 2014. There weren’t too many calculations. So sir will give us a question and we will set it on the board and we will start analyzing from there. We wouldn’t move any pieces on the board. So, we would just analyze and visualize that really helped a lot. He added that he has been doing this for six years now.

People were stunned by Praggnanandhaa's quick and accurate responses. @Sai-qz9nk commented, “Whenever I hear a 16-year-old begin a sentence with ‘When I was young...’ I know where I stand in comparison.” @anantpanwar7692 was surprised that the 18-year-old didn’t ask the host to repeat the question. “What more awesome to me is that he did not ask to repeat the position even once.” @goodknightchess also had similar views. “You can’t tell me this isn’t a superpower.” @ilangovane was in awe of this kid. “Wonderful... This is not possible for everyone. This kid has amazing short-term visual memory. God bless you.” According to what the young chess player shared, it proves that only talent doesn't help, one has to put the skill to practice to succeed in any field.