In Pics: Chess Prodigy R Praggnanandhaa Says Thank You To Anand Mahindra For Gifting XUV400

Anand Mahindra’s automobile brand has kept its promise to gift Indian chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa an XUV400 electric SUV for his efforts at the FIDE Chess World Cup 2023.

Praggnanandhaa took the world by surprise last year when he sealed his place in the FIDE World Cup final against Norwegian Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen. After an epic three-day battle, the Indian chess prodigy eventually lost to Carlsen.

Despite the defeat, Anand Mahindra recognised the impact that the young chess sensation had on others in taking up the sport. This led to the Group Chairman of Mahindra promising the flagship electric SUV to Praggnanandhaa’s parents, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Anand Mahindra made his promise in a post on X (Formerly Twitter) back in August 2023. In the post, he wrote, “I think we should gift an XUV4OO EV to the PARENTS of Praggnanandhaa Shrimati Nagalakshmi & Shri Rameshbabu, who deserve our gratitude for nurturing their son’s passion & for giving him their untiring support.” Praggnanandhaa was elated by this wonderful gesture from Anand Mahindra. After being gifted with a brand new XUV400 electric SUV, the chess prodigy shared a message on X that reads, “Received XUV 400, My Parents are very happy. Thank you very much Anand Mahindra sir.”

Magnus Carlsen and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa engaged in four games of chess battle across two formats at the World Cup. The epic final began with two classical long-format games of chess. The young Indian talent was playing the white pieces, creating subtle pressure before the game ended in a draw.

The next game saw both Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen swap sides, following which the Norwegian settled for another draw. A 1-1 scoreline led to two sets of tiebreaks through rapid chess. In the second rapid chess round and the fourth game overall, Praggnanandhaa found himself cornered as Carlsen went on to secure the World Cup.

Despite a heartbreaking loss, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa’s impact at the FIDE Chess World Cup 2023 was undeniable. He was the youngest ever to make the finals of the tournament. His exploits saw him seal a place in the prestigious Candidates Tournament making him the third-youngest player after Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen to have achieved this feat.

Speaking of the Mahindra XUV400, the electric SUV is priced between Rs 15.99 and Rs 18.99 lakhs (ex-showroom). The smaller variant of the car boasts a 34.5 kWh capacity that claims a mileage of nearly 375 km. The bigger model, however, packs a 39.4 kWh battery which should be good to go for around 456 km.