World champ at 7; 'nervous' while meeting PM Modi: How Pragnika became chess prodigy
SOURCE:Times of India|BY:JYOTIRMOY HALDER
Seven-year-old Pragnika Vaka Lakshmi, Under-7 Girls champion at the FIDE World Schools Chess Championship 2025, met PM Narendra Modi after winning gold for India on Friday. From learning chess during COVID to rapid success, she shows rare courage and discipline. Backed by family sacrifices, scholarships, and offline coaching, she balances school, training, and dreams of becoming the best chess player worldwide.
Pragnika Vaka Lakshmi (Special arrangements)
NEW DELHI: “Main World School Chess mein champion bani aur India k liye gold laayi (I became champion at the World School Chess and brought a gold medal for India),” seven-year-old Pragnika Vaka Lakshmi told Prime Minister Narendra Modi, her Telugu-accented Hindi filling the room with palpable innocence.“I want to become the best chess player when I grow up,” she added moments later when enquired about her future plans, making PM Modi smile as he interacted with the recipients of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025 on Friday.
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For Pragnika, who won the Under-7 Girls title at the FIDE World Schools Chess Championship 2025 in Serbia earlier this year, meeting the Prime Minister was something far from normal. But was the little one aware of the occasion?“She was a little bit nervous while interacting with Modi sir,” her mother Praveena told TimesofIndia.com from Guwahati, where the young prodigy is competing in the Under-9 National Chess Tournament.
“She just knew that she was meeting the President and the Prime Minister. She doesn’t understand how big this achievement is for her or for us as a family.”
India is living through a golden chess era.From Olympiad golds, Gukesh becoming the youngest World Chess Champion, and Koneru Humpy winning the 2024 Women’s World Rapid title to Divya Deshmukh emerging as the youngest-ever Women’s World Cup champion, accolades have poured in, with Pragnika carving her name into the list.
But winning a world championship in her very first international tournament? That wasn’t even on Pragnika’s bucket list.“We didn’t even think about winning,” Praveena admitted. “We just wanted to see how she would play internationally.”What followed was a nine-round tournament that changed the trajectory of a family.First movesPragnika’s chess journey began inside a home in Surat when parents were simply trying to keep two young daughters occupied.“Her elder sister Varenya started chess during COVID,” Praveena recalled. “We thought some indoor game should be there. She started online classes.”Varenya, now 11, showed promise and soon became a state-level player.
Pragnika Vaka Lakshmi with her family (Special arrangements)
Pragnika started as a watchful observer of her sister’s play. “We were just observing whether she was interested,” Praveena added. “She would sit with her sister and watch.”Before chess entered their lives, both girls were competitive skaters.
But time, safety concerns during the pandemic, and growing promise in chess slowly tilted the balance.“For skating, you have to go out,” Praveena explained. “That time was dangerous for kids. So we dropped skating and continued chess.”Formal chess classes for Pragnika under coach Vicky Chauhan began shortly after her fifth birthday. “Within three or four months, she became champion at the state level,” her mother revealed.
“At that time, she was only six.”What stood out most to her mother was Pragnika’s temperament.“She is very courageous,” she added. “My elder daughter is sensitive. Pragnika is rough and tough. Nervousness is the main thing in chess. When you feel free, your mind works. My younger one is very daring.”ALSO READ: How a housewife's trick to make dinner prepped a record-breaking 8-year-old in PunjabSerbia gambleThe decision to travel to Serbia was not as easy as it may look from the outside.“We never tried international before,” Praveena admitted.
“Actually, the coach had more trust than us.”That coach was Rohan Jhulka, a Surat-based trainer who works with Pragnika in one-on-one offline sessions. As he insisted that she was ready, the family decided to take Pragnika to her first international tournament.The road to Serbia, however, was punishing.“For six months before Serbia, her father worked so hard with both daughters,” Praveena said.Every Sunday, Pragnika and her father Ramanadh, a Superintendent in Central Excise and Customs, travelled from Surat to Mumbai for practice tournaments.“They used to wake up at 3 am,” Praveena recalled. “Because every Sunday there are some tournaments in Mumbai. They would play two sessions in the open category. Morning under-6, afternoon under-7. Then they would reach Surat at one in the night and go to school at six in the morning.”There were no weekends, no breaks, only the relentless pursuit of excellence.“We felt the more she practices, the more active her mind will be,” Praveena explained.A perfect runIn Serbia, Pragnika won her first round. Then another. And another. “After seven rounds, she was the only player on full points,” Praveena recalled with a broad smile.The pressure began to show. But with her coach Jhulka also travelling with her, the moment of concern became a moment of reflection.“She started asking, ‘Sir, what will happen if I lose?’” her mother remembered.
She won the eighth round and secured the title with one round to spare.
But the job wasn’t done. Her coach pushed her to get a perfect 9/9.“Sir clearly told us that if we have come this far, then we will not leave. Eight out of nine and nine out of nine, there is a lot of difference,” her mother elaborated.Keeping her cool, Pragnika did that too.“After winning, she went straight to her coach,” her mother said. “That moment was very emotional.”The weight of a crownReturning home as a world champion changed things overnight.“After Serbia, she became a little nervous,” Praveena revealed. “People everywhere say, ‘She is a world champion.’”Following the victory in Serbia, results on the board also dipped consistently, with losses piling up one after another.“She has lost many tournaments continuously,” Praveena said. “But her father never stopped planning for the next tournament. Win or lose, just play.”That mindset, she believes, saved her daughter from burnout.“Parents become very excited when their children win against Pragnika,” she shared with a laugh. “That creates a bit of pressure. Children start thinking, ‘I have to win every game.’”A day in the life of a seven-year-old world championDespite the titles, Pragnika’s daily routine remains grounded. “She goes to school daily,” Praveena said. “After coming home, she practices.”She trains three to four times a week, always offline.“For Pragnika, offline coaching is better,” her mother explained.
“Online, the eye contact is missing. She takes 10 to 15 minutes to settle. But now she can play a full three-hour game.
“When the coach is in front of her, he talks to her, jokes with her, plays with her. That comfort is important. Otherwise, children take advantage.”At school, chess has transformed her identity.“Her name comes in school magazines,” Praveena said. “They see her as a celebrity. That motivates her.”Andhra rootsOriginally from Andhra Pradesh, the family is settled in Gujarat.
Praveena, an IT professional, recently returned to work from home after resigning to support her daughters.“My husband supports me fully,” she added. “That is the main thing.”Even amid the wave of success, she doesn’t shy away from admitting the sacrifices.“Chess is expensive,” Praveena added. “It is mostly travelling. One international tournament costs around Rs 4 lakh. With that money, we can play 10 tournaments in India.”Coaching costs present another major challenge."If you want to train with a FIDE Master or International Master, it becomes very expensive; often over Rs 2,000 per hour," her mother explained.To the family’s relief, though, Pragnika and her sister receive a Rs 30,000 to 35,000 scholarship each from the Sports Authority of Gujarat, which eases the burden slightly.
Pragnika Vaka Lakshmi with her sister (Special arrangements)
Their results speak volumes about their talent: between the two sisters, they've already won over 230 trophies.The future star?Despite the early success, the family is careful not to over-plan.“I don’t know about the future,” Praveena said candidly, adding “What we have got so far is extra."They plan to observe Pragnika’s growth and interest over the next two years, possibly exploring Asian-level tournaments in 2026.“If she is interested, we will move forward,” Praveena explained. “If not, we won’t stop her from choosing something else.”For now, Pragnika is simply a seven-year-old who loves the game, who still gets nervous not when she is asked to face opponents over the board, but when meeting the Prime Minister, and who dreams in simple sentences and, of course, eats all her vegetables like a good girl, with ladyfinger being her favourite.
