Legendary chess player Susan Polgar met and greeted Nagalakshmi, the mother of Indian chess prodigies Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali, during the Chess Olympiad in Hungary. The former world champion expressed her excitement at meeting Nagalakshmi, referring to her as an ‘Amazing Chess Mom’ and commending her for the unwavering support she has provided in shaping the careers of her two children.
Polgar’s meeting with Nagalakshmi took place on the sidelines of the recently-concluded Chess Olympiad. India made history by winning gold medals in both the Open and Women’s sections in Budapest, the home of the renowned Polgar sisters. Praggnanandhaa played a crucial role in the men’s team’s commanding performance, while Vaishali was instrumental in helping the women’s team secure its first-ever gold medal at the Olympiad.
“I had to meet this amazing Chess Mom, who devoted her life to raising two super Chess Stars!” Polgar wrote, sharing photos with Nagalakshmi, Praggnanandhaa, and Vaishali. The brother-sister duo from Chennai has been making waves in the chess world, becoming the first siblings to both achieve Grandmaster titles and qualify for the Candidates Tournament.
Nagalakshmi has been ensuring that her children maintain a healthy lifestyle, providing them with homemade food and encouraging them to stay focused on their game. Both Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali have spoken at length about their mother’s support in helping them adjust to tough conditions, especially in overseas tournaments. The chess stars’ father, Rameshbabu, works as a branch manager at a bank in Chennai.
Also Read: India’s dominant Chess Olympiad win reminds Viswanathan Anand of Soviet teams
In Hungary, Indian chess stars grabbed the spotlight over the weekend after their unprecedented success in the Olympiad. Susan Polgar had shared a video of the chess players celebrating like Indian men’s cricketer team captain, Rohit Sharma, during the trophy presentation ceremony. As expected, the clip went viral.
The men’s team, led by Grandmasters D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa, secured the top spot with a dominant 3.5-0.5 victory over Slovenia in the final round, finishing with 21 points. The women’s team, featuring D Harika, R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal, also won 3.5-0.5 against Azerbaijan, claiming the gold with 19 points.
