Even in loss, young chess grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa have been showered with accolades that few can dream of.

Praggnanandhaa's fantastic run in the Fide World Cup ended with a defeat in the final against world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen on Thursday. Grandmaster and former world champion Viswanathan Anand, however, feels this is just the start for the "new star" in chess.

In a video message, Anand summed up Praggu's performance in the World Cup as "sensational".

"Praggnanandhaa has had a sensational performance. In just one tournament, the Fide World Cup, he became the first Indian after me to qualify for the final and the first Indian after me to qualify for the Candidates. He has also now broken into the top 20 of the world," Anand said.

Anand feels fatigue caught up with Praggnanandhaa in the end of a long, gruelling tournament. "He finished second in the World Cup beating Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana without losing a game and it was only today (Thursday), against Magnus Carlsen, that someone was able to stop him. He fought well, even getting to the tie-break was a very good result. I think at the end of the tournament, fatigue caught up."

The Indian chess ace also reminded all that this was not a flash-in-the-pan show from the youngster.

"He has played so many excellent games recently, including before the World Cup, in Hungary and the Global Ches League. So it's not a one-off result. I believe that we are seeing a new star and he has a very bright future," Anand said of the 18-year-old.

What next for Praggnanandhaa? "He has something very specific to aim for — to qualify for the World Championship match in the Candidates tournament next year," Anand said.

Praggnanandhaa's personal coach, RB Ramesh, was not with him during the World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, but that did not stop the boy from Chennai to stun top-rated grandmasters.

"He (Praggnanandhaa) is handling himself mostly. I am just chatting on WhatsApp with him," Ramesh, himself a Grandmaster, said.

Not just the chess fraternity, eminent personalities from all fields congratulated Praggnanandhaa.

"Congratulations on an incredible tournament, @rpragchess! Keep chasing your dreams and making India proud," former India cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"Hold your head high Praggnanandhaa. The whole nation is proud of you," tweeted Yuzvendra Chahal.