‘India will be favourites for next five Olympiads’: R. Praggnanandhaa

Is age a factor in professional chess? What is the ideal age to be an elite chess player? THE WEEK asked Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa a day ahead of his 20th birthday. The World number 4 said he feels it could be different for each individual. While Viswanathan Anand became a world champion in his 30s, Magnus Carlsen is already showing a lack of motivation at 34, he said. The packed schedule is draining even for the younger generation, including himself, the Arjuna winner noted. Praggnanandhaa was unapologetically direct in stating he found the lights, music and bravado of Esports unpleasant. Yet, he has no doubt that he will prepare for it and come back stronger next time, as his contemporaries, including friends D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin, are watching. They motivate each other to perform better, and Praggnanandhaa has no intention of letting them down.   A middling 2024 had been eclipsed by a much better 2025, and the prodigy from Chennai is on course for a berth at the Candidates tournament if he keeps his form. In an interview with THE WEEK, Praggnanandhaa spoke about the age factor in chess, getting into Esports and freestyle (where the pieces on the back row are randomly placed, but with a few rules), and what one ability he would like to take from his compatriots.  Excerpts:

Did you speak to Divya Deshmukh after she won the FIDE Women’s World Cup? How do you feel about Indian women stepping up their game?

I haven’t spoken to her yet, but it’s amazing to see how women’s chess in India is also growing. A lot of good results have been coming our way.

Do you think India could be the most dominant force in chess in the next decade? Which nation would be the biggest challenge?

As it’s more of an individual sport, there will always be some strong players from different countries. But in events like the Olympiad in recent times, you can see that we have been really good. I think we will be favourites for the next five Olympiads, at least. We have more and more people coming to the top.

Walk us through a day in your life...

There are two types of days: those during tournaments and those when I am at home. During tournaments, I usually get up, have my breakfast, and start my preparations by training for the game. Then I catch a bit of a nap before I have lunch ahead of the game. And when I'm at home, it's a bit different. Also, it depends on what I am doing at home. If there is a training camp, then it's more of intense training. But if I have hit the rest mode, it's not so intense, but there will still be chess. I'll still be looking at some games or checking out something about chess.

Do you follow a specific mind-and-body training regimen to stay fit? What methods do you use to remain calm in high-pressure situations?

​There is no particular way to train in those moments. I think you just have to give your best. You just have to be present in the moment, not really worry about the result. Just do what is required at that moment. And I think that's how it works.

Do you think age is really a factor in chess? What is the ideal age to be a top player?

​Usually, people peak in their late 20s, but it could be different for each individual. Anand Sir won the World Championship in his 30s, and Magnus Carlsen is already not so motivated in his early 30s. Compared to earlier times, we are just playing too many tournaments nowadays. So it’s much easier to burn out early. I think it’s difficult for this generation to play till their 40s because we’re playing non-stop. Young players have more energy, but the older ones have experience. We’re all top players, so I don’t think [age] really matters so much.

How challenging is freestyle compared with the classical format?

(In classical Chess, the pieces on the back row always start in the same, standardized position. This means players need to  study and memorization of opening moves and variations. In Freestyle/ Fischer Random Chess, all pieces apart from the pawns are placed in one of 960 possible random positions. This eliminates the reliance on memorized openings and forces players to think creatively and strategically.)

I’m not sure if it can overtake classical chess in future. The classical game will still be around, perhaps with a reduced time control or something along those lines. But for me, freestyle is quite enjoyable. I haven’t had a great result in it, but I still enjoy the format. It’s fun. There is no opening part (the random arrangement of pieces means that traditional opening plays are irrelevant). [Opening preparation] is something players do, but don’t enjoy. So [for that reason], I think all the top players enjoy freestyle. We’ll see how it is in future. For me, it’s not the priority right now; classical is still the main focus.

You recently competed in the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Grand Slam Chess Tour. How was the experience of playing Freestyle chess against the world’s best? How challenging was it compared to the traditional format?

​I'm not sure if it will overtake Classical chess. I think Classical chess will still be around. For me, Freestyle is very enjoyable. But it is not a priority right now. For me, classical is still the main focus. I haven't had a great result in Freestyle, but I still enjoy the format. It's fun playing it. I think all the top players enjoy it. So we'll see how it evolves in the future.

But do you think competition will eventually intensify, with players preparing for the 960 possible starting positions in Fischer Random Chess? To what extent do you think that is humanly possible? How do you see Freestyle chess evolving in the coming years?

You can look at all 960 positions, but you'll never be able to remember everything. And even if you do remember, you can barely remember the first move. But also, it can get so confusing because every position looks similar, but there will be some small differences here and there—all these things you just can't remember. What you can remember are some ideas from here and there, and that can help when you actually play. And I think that's the difference. While it's not easy to remember 960 positions, if you're just playing one of those regularly and you have good opening preparation, then that's the difference between classical and Freestyle. There is no preparation that can help you [when it comes to the format].

Day two of the Las Vegas Freestyle event lasted over 10 hours, with Fabiano Caruana defeating you in the Armageddon in the quarter-finals. How significant a role does stamina play in such scenarios? Were you fatigued? Do you think the event could have been better organised to avoid such long playing hours?

​Ten hours, of course, was exhausting for both of us. And it was an important match. But that's what the format was, and we kept playing. I think they are already talking about changing the format. A game lasting 10 hours is not good for just the players, but also for spectators and everybody else involved. I don't think it's a good thing, and there will be changes.

Gukesh withdrew from the event citing exhaustion. Do you think the global tournament schedule is too packed?

​As world champion, I think it does have mileage to just take some breaks in between and come back. But for me, I have to take the Candidates into account and also play for the FIDE Circuit spot (a ranking system based on tournaments throughout the year; the top player will qualify for the Candidates). So I have to keep playing a lot. I also don’t want to miss out on tournaments because I do enjoy playing. Though it’s tiring, I think I can still keep going. I’m trying to manage rest and preparing [as well]. So far, it’s been good.

Magnus Carlsen is considered the greatest endgame player ever, yet he once said he enjoys the middlegame more. Which phase of the game—opening, middlegame, or endgame—do you enjoy most, and why?

I'm not sure if Magnus said that, but he's obviously an excellent middlegame player. For me, the opening is fun until it's too much about memory and so on. I believe I'm good at openings, but it's not something that I do out of enjoyment. It's something that I have to do, especially when you play a lot of classical events.

Do you think having a rival pushes you to perform better?

I don’t think there is a need for a [rivalry to do your best]. I would say there is healthy competition between the players of this generation, which is pushing all of us together to the top. I think that’s why we are seeing these quick rises. Gukesh or Arjun achieving something certainly inspires me to push myself harder. I’m sure it’s the same with them when I do well. It’s good for the game that we are inspiring each other and pushing our limits.

Chess was part of the Esports World Cup this year. How do you think it is going to impact the chess world?

I really enjoyed playing for Team Liquid in the Esports qualifier [for the World Cup].... I think the format is really exciting for the spectators. But as a player, I felt it was a bit different from the normal event, especially when there is loud commentary, cheering spectators and headphones with white noise or with music. This is not common when you play chess and it’s certainly unpleasant. It was a different experience for me and next year I’ll certainly come prepared.

You come from a household with two GMs. How different is your game from your sister Vaishali’s?

I am more of a universal player. My sister is aggressive. She tries to play complicated games, tries to attack. We do discuss a lot of chess when we are at home. We discuss our strengths and weaknesses and so on. It does help both of us in that way.

If you could, what ability would you take from Gukesh, Arjun and Nihal Sarin?

Nihal, I would say the mouse skills and bullet (a faster format) skills. We saw in the Esports World Cup that he was really good when it came to the last few seconds. Arjun, I would say his attitude in general. He believes everything will be good and he has this positive attitude. Gukesh fights really hard on the board. His mental attitude is really good. So I would take that from him.

Foreign players of your generation such as Alireza Firouzja, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Vincent Keymer, Hans Niemann, and Javokhir Sindarov have also announced their arrival. Who among these non-Indian stars do you think is going to be the toughest to play against in the years to come? Any observations on your non-Indian rivals?

​There are just so many strong players who can beat anyone in the world. Every time you play the ones you named, you find yourself up against a very difficult opponent. I haven't singled out anyone as a favourite or a difficult opponent.

Most elite players can play blindfold chess with ease. How do you visualise a 64-square board and 32 pieces in your mind? Do you imagine a 3D board with 3D pieces or a 2D board with 2D pieces? What colours do you see for the board layout in your head?

​Honestly, I don't know how to explain it with an analogy. It's not like there is any particular training for it. It's something that comes with more practice and looking at chess more. The pieces are floating in our heads, and we know where the king is. It's just there in our minds. It's easy for us because we have trained so much. There is no colour to either the board or the pieces. They just hang up there in your head, and you know what to do.

We have heard about lucky pens, wearing the same dress, and repeating winning daily routines. Do you have any rituals or superstitions before or during games?

​Earlier, I used to take pens to the games, but nowadays it's just not possible. We are not even allowed to carry water bottles. I just carry my bananas.

Do you think it’s hard for an upcoming chess player to find sponsorship, at least in India?

I think it’s getting a lot better. There are more players coming into the game. Adani has been supporting me for the last year and all top Indian players are getting support. Overall, it’s good for Indian chess and I’m happy to see that.

 How important has support from Adani Sportsline been for your career?

You need the support and training for tournaments. Last year, we played the Candidates where we needed a team and in-person camps and [other] things that do require support. And that’s where companies like Adani Group come in. They have been supporting me in a huge way. It’s amazing to see that we have so much interest in chess nowadays.

Do you read news reports about your games? If so, do they affect you in any way? Do you think the Indian media is doing justice to the proper coverage of chess? Any suggestions?

I am generally not active on X, Instagram, or any other social media. During tournaments, even YouTube is off the table. I think there is just so much coverage nowadays. Since I don't really have expertise in that field, I can't really give any suggestions.

India now has 88 grandmasters and counting. What advice would you give to aspiring grandmasters and young chess enthusiasts?

Just have fun with the game, always strive for the maximum, and believe in yourself.

The Week