Same-Move Checkmate: Praggnanandhaa’s strategy at IMC India Simul
On 8th August, GM R Praggnanandhaa took on ten IMC employees in a thrilling simul at IMC India's Mumbai Office. The simul was made possible through IMC India’s collaboration with esports Team Liquid, of which Pragg is a member. There was also a live commentary, a quiz and prizes for the audience. Before the first move, Pragg announced his challenge to checkmate all ten opponents on the same move. Did he pull off his daring challenge? Read on to find out. Photo: IMC India
Praggnanandhaa’s Simul at IMC India
If you love chess, you might dream about becoming a professional chess player. Or at least, playing against one. Even if you don’t pursue chess professionally, that spark, that thrill of facing a grandmaster, stays with you. On 8th August, IMC India gave its employees a chance to live that dream. They hosted a thrilling chess simul with current India no. 1, GM R Praggnanandhaa. IMC India has collaborated with Team Liquid, an esports organization, to create unique opportunities for chess players. The latest Esports World Cup Chess 2025 is a good example of that. As Praggnanandhaa is a part of Team Liquid, IMC India got the opportunity to host him for the simul.
IMC India has collaborated with Team Liquid, an esports organization, to create unique opportunities for chess players. The latest Esports World Cup Chess 2025 is a perfect example of that. As Praggnanandhaa is a part of Team Liquid, IMC India got the exclusive opportunity to host him for the simul, giving their employees a once-in-a-lifetime chance to test their skills against one of the brightest young talents in the chess world.
The event began with a special video shoot by a crew from Amsterdam. Once the shoot was over, there was a meet-and-greet session with Praggnanandhaa. All the guests captured pictures and collected autographs from the young grandmaster.
The highlight of the day was, of course, the simul. Special wooden boards with the IMC logo were set up for the ten players. From the IMC India team, these were the players:
Name | Rating |
|---|---|
Vamsi | 1500 |
Maitreya | 1041 |
Nishant | 1627 |
Thiruvarul | 1600 |
Writobroto | 1560 |
Rik | 1237 |
Kevin | 2045 |
Jack | 924 |
Lewis | 1200 |
Rishab | 898 |
Once everyone had taken their seats, Praggnanandhaa entered the room, ready to face all ten players! Amruta took over the commentary and kept the audience engaged. There were some quiz questions that were flashed on the screens so that the audience could also participate. Those who gave the right answers won an exciting gift from IMC. Overall, everyone present was excited.
No doubt the simul itself was a spectacle! Before it started, MD Jocelyn lightheartedly mentioned to Pragg that his employees were “scared” to see who would be checkmated first. Smart Pragg came up with a challenge that he would checkmate all players on the same move! And that’s exactly what happened! Pragg strategized all the games very well and left everyone amazed.
