Indian Chess Prodigy Praggnanandhaa Secures Spot in 2026 Candidates, Faces 'Extremely Strong' Competition
Image Source: Internet
In a major breakthrough, 19-year-old Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has secured a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, becoming the sole Indian representative in the prestigious event. Praggnanandhaa's qualification came on the back of his impressive performance in the London Chess Classic, where he finished joint-first with two other players before securing third place after tie-breaks. He further solidified his position by winning the FIDE Circuit 2025, accumulating 115.17 points - a whopping 34 points ahead of Dutch GM Anish Giri, who has also secured his spot at the Candidates. When asked about the upcoming tournament, Praggnanandhaa acknowledged the stiff competition, saying, "It will be a difficult tournament for everyone. If someone is there at the Candidates, that means they have shown what it takes to be there." He also expressed his confidence in the Indian chess team, citing his own victories in the Tata Chess Masters, Grand Chess Tour Superbet Chess Classic Romania, and the 2nd UzChess Cup 2025. However, Praggnanandhaa's campaign at the World Cup this year has been a mixed bag, and he will look to bounce back in the Candidates. Meanwhile, Indian women's chess players Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, and R Vaishali will be competing in the Women's Candidates tournament. With the 2026 Candidates Tournament set to be an extremely strong and closely contested event, Praggnanandhaa's qualification is a significant boost for Indian chess enthusiasts.
