Kamal Haasan congratulates world's second youngest chess Grand Master, Praggnanandhaa

Actor, TV show host and politician Kamal Haasan on Monday congratulated the world's second youngest Grand Master R Praggnanandhaa, who hails from Chennai, on his extraordinary accomplishment.

Praggnanandhaa, who is at the moment in Italy playing the 4th Gredine Open, achieved the feat when he defeated GM Moroni Luca Jr in Round eight.

The youngster is just 12 years, 10 months and 13 days old. The only other player who became a Grand Master at an age younger than that of Praggnanandha is Ukraine's Serjet Karjakin, who earned the title when he was 12 years 7 months old.

Haasan, who spoke to the boy's father Ramesh Babu over telephone, congratulated his parents on the boy's achievement. Haasan is believed to have said that the boy's achievement of becoming the youngest Grand Master in India and the second youngest Grand Master in the world was no mean feat. He praised the boy's father for encouraging his child's dreams and has promised to extend his fullest support to Praggnanandhaa.

Ramesh Babu, for his part, said that he felt very happy to hear from Haasan and that he would take his son to meet the actor once he returned to India.