Pragnika Vaka Lakshmi (Special Provisions) NEW DELHI: “Chief World School Chess Champion bani aur India k liye gold laayi (I became the World School Chess Champion and brought home 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.“When I grow up, I want to become the best chess player,” she added moments later when asked about her future plans, which made PM Modi smile as he interacted with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025 recipients on Friday.
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For Pragnica, who earlier this year won the girls’ under-7 title at the 2025 FIDE World Schools Championship in Serbia, meeting the prime minister was something far from normal. But was the little one aware of this opportunity?“She was a bit nervous interacting with Modi sir,” her mother Praveena told TimesofIndia.com from Guwahati, where the young prodigy is competing in the national under-9 chess tournament. “She just knew she was going to meet the president and the prime minister. She doesn’t understand how big this achievement is for her or for us as a family.”
Pragnika Vaka Lakshmi Receives Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025 (Special Arrangement)
India is experiencing a golden era of chess.From Olympic Gold, Gukesh becoming the youngest World Chess Champion and Koneru Humpy winning the 2024 Women’s World Rapid title to Divya Deshmukh becoming the youngest ever Women’s World Cup Champion, accolades have poured in and Pragnika has carved her name into the list.But winning the World Cup in his very first international tournament? That wasn’t even on Pragnika’s list.“We didn’t even think about winning,” admitted Praveena. “We just wanted to see him play internationally.What followed was a nine-round tournament that changed the trajectory of the family.First movesPragnika’s chess journey began in a house in Surat when the parents were simply trying to keep their two young daughters busy.“Her elder sister Varenya started playing chess during COVID,” recalled Praveena. “We thought there should be some kind of indoor game. She started online classes.”Varenya, now 11, showed promise and soon became a state-level player.
Pragnika Vaka Lakshmi with family (Special arrangements)
Pragnika began as a keen observer of her sister’s play. “We were just watching to see if he was interested,” added Praveena. “She would sit with her sister and watch.Before chess entered their lives, both girls were competitive skaters. But time, concerns about security during the pandemic, and rising promises in chess slowly tipped the balance.“You have to go outside to skate,” explained Praveena. “Those times were dangerous for kids. So we stopped skating and continued playing chess.”Formal chess lessons for Pragnik under coach Vicky Chauhan began shortly after her fifth birthday. “Within three or four months, she became a champion at the state level,” her mother revealed. “She was only six at the time.What impressed her mother the most was Pragnika’s temperament.“She’s very brave,” she added. “My older 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 brave.”READ ALSO: How a housewife’s trick to prepare a record breaking 8-year-old’s dinner in PunjabSerbian gamblingThe decision to travel to Serbia was not as simple as it might seem from the outside.“We had never tried international before,” admitted Praveena. “Actually, the coach had more confidence than we did.That trainer was Rohan Jhulka, a Surat-based trainer who works with Pragnika for one-on-one offline sessions. Insisting that she was ready, the family decided to take Pragnik to her first international tournament.However, the journey to Serbia was punishing.“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, traveled from Surat to Mumbai for practice tournaments.“They used to get up at 3 in the morning,” Praveena recalled. “Because every Sunday there are some tournaments in Mumbai. They played two games in the open category. Under-6s in the morning, under-7s in the afternoon. Then they arrived in Surat at one in the morning and went to school at six in the morning.”There were no weekends, no breaks, only a relentless pursuit of perfection.“We felt that the more she practiced, the more active her mind would be,” explained Praveena.Perfect runIn Serbia, Pragnika won her first round. Then another. And more. “After seven rounds, she was the only player with full points,” recalled Praveena with a big smile.The pressure was starting to show. But with her trainer Jhulka also traveling with her, the moment of worry became a moment of reflection.“She started asking, ‘Lord, what happens if I lose?'” her mother recalled.She won the eighth round to secure the title with one round to spare. But the work was not done. Her coach pushed her to a perfect 9/9.“The Lord clearly told us that if we’ve come this far, we’re not going to leave. Eight out of nine and nine out of nine, there’s a big difference,” her mother elaborated.Pragnika who kept her cool did so too.“After the win, she went straight to her coach,” her mother said. “That moment was very emotional.Crown weightComing home as world champion changed things overnight.“She got a little nervous after Serbia,” revealed Praveena. “People everywhere are saying, ‘He’s a world champion.’After the victory in Serbia, the results on the scoreboard also kept falling and the losses piled up one after another.“She kept losing many tournaments,” said Praveena. “But her father never stopped planning the next tournament. Win or lose, just play.”She believes this mindset saved her daughter from burnout.“Parents are very excited when their kids win against Pragnica,” she shared with a laugh. “That creates some pressure. The kids start thinking, ‘I have to win every game.’A day in the life of a seven-year world championDespite the titles, Pragnika’s daily routine remains down to earth. “He goes to school daily,” Praveena said. “He works out when he gets home.He trains three to four times a week, always offline.“Offline coaching is better for Pragnik,” her mother explained. “Online, missing eye contact. Takes 10 to 15 minutes to settle in. But now he can play for three hours.”“When the coach is in front of her, he talks to her, jokes with her, plays with her. That comfort is important. Otherwise, the children take advantage of it.”At school, chess changed her identity.“Her name appears in school magazines,” said Praveena. “They see her as a celebrity. That motivates her.”Andhra rootsThe family hails from Andhra Pradesh and is based in Gujarat. Praveena, an IT professional, recently returned to work from home after quitting her job to support her daughters.“My husband fully supports me,” she added. “That’s the main thing.”Even in the midst of a wave of success, he does not shy away from admitting sacrifices.“Chess is expensive,” added Praveena. “It’s mainly travel. One international tournament costs around Rs 4 crore. With that money, we can play 10 tournaments in India.”Another big challenge is the cost of coaching.“If you want to train with a FIDE master or an international master, it becomes very expensive; often over Rs 2,000 per hour,” her mother explained.However, to the family’s relief, Pragnika and her sister are getting a scholarship of Rs 30,000-35,000 from the Gujarat Sports Authority, which eases the burden a bit.
Pragnika Vaka Lakshmi with her sister (Special arrangement)
Their results speak for their talent: between the two sisters, they have already won over 230 trophies.Future star?Despite the early success, the family is careful not to plan too much.“I don’t know about the future,” Praveena said frankly, adding, “What we’ve gained so far is something extra.”In the next two years, they plan to monitor the growth and interest of Pragnica, possibly exploring Asian-level tournaments in 2026.“If he’s interested, we’ll move on,” explained Praveena. “If not, we won’t stop her from choosing something else.”For now, Pragnika is just a seven-year-old who loves the game, who still gets nervous not when she is asked to face an opponent across the chessboard, but when meeting the Prime Minister, and who dreams in simple sentences and, of course, eats all her vegetables like a proper girl, her favorite being a ladybug.
