Chess Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, who recently became the Under-18 World Chess Champion, dedicated his world title to two-year-old Sujith Wilson, who died recently after he fell into an abandoned borewell in Nadakattupati.
The 14-year-old chess sensation from Chennai was attending a felicitation event at his own school Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Mogappair when he made the announcement on 29 October.
“I dedicate this title to Sujith. I really hope and pray that this doesn’t happen to any other child,” Praggnanandhaa told the Times of India.
The staff and students of the school also observed two-minutes silence and lit candles while remembering Sujith.
Sujith Wilson fell and got trapped in an abandoned borewell in Tamil Nadu 25 October. After medical personnel and teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) assessed the situation, authorities declared the child dead, in the wee hours of Tuesday. Officials said the body was in a highly decomposed state and the digging operation was suspended.
Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa took part in two major events recently - the World Youth (U-18) and then the World junior (U-20) championships in Mumbai and Delhi respectively. After winning the U-18 World title, he finished ninth in the U-20 event.
Praggnanandhaa will be next seen in action at the London Classic from 1 December to 9 December followed by Sunway Open in Sitges, Spain.
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