R Praggnanandhaa issues war cry ahead of FIDE Candidates 2026: 'Trick lies in...'

Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa has sent a strong message ahead of the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. Over the past few years, Praggnanandhaa, along with players like D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, has led India's rise in the chess world.

The 20-year-old recently qualified for the prestigious Candidates Tournament after winning the FIDE Circuit 2025 with 115.17 points. He will be the only Indian player in the Open section of this year's Candidates.

Speaking to Chess.com, Praggnanandhaa admitted that most top players already know each other’s playing styles, which makes it important to keep bringing new ideas on the board.

“All of them know my game, but the trick lies in coming up with novelty each time. Otherwise, it's not possible to keep winning against the world's best,” Praggnanandhaa was quoted as saying.

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Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa is currently in the recovery phase after witnessing a dip in his performance last year. He did well in the first half of the season, but couldn't carry the same momentum in the second half. He also slipped out of the FIDE top 10 rankings.

Gukesh wants Pragg to win

The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 will take place from March 28 to April 16 at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus. The event will run alongside the Women’s Candidates Tournament.

The competition will feature eight of the world’s top players and will follow a double round-robin format, meaning each player will face every other participant twice across 14 rounds. Praggnanandhaa will play alongside some big names like Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Anish Giri, Wei Yi, Javokhir Sindarov, Matthias Blübaum, and Andrey Esipenko.

The winner of the tournament will earn the right to challenge reigning world champion D Gukesh in the World Chess Championship 2026, apart from winning €70,000 (Rs 74 lakh) prize money.

Meanwhile, Gukesh also wants an all-Indian match at the World Championship this year. "Personally, I would like to face Pragg. It would be an Indian clash, and it would be great for the Indian fans,” Gukesh recently told Chessbase India.