NEW DELHI
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has secured his place in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, becoming the sole Indian representative in next year’s men’s event. He earned the berth after a stellar performance at the London Chess Classic, finishing joint-first with Velimir Ivic and Ameet K Ghasi before settling in third after tie-breaks. The victory also saw him top the FIDE Circuit 2025 with 115.17 points, comfortably ahead of Dutch GM Anish Giri, who has already qualified for the Candidates.
Praggnanandhaa acknowledged the challenging nature of the tournament. “Any Candidates will be a tough tournament. If someone is there, that means they’ve shown what it takes. It will be difficult for everyone,” he said. He described the upcoming line-up as “extremely strong,” noting that the rating levels are similar to last year, with virtually no player who could be considered an easy target.
The 20-year-old GM also reflected on preparation constraints. “Assuming I make it, there will be a short time to prepare. Not long time to prepare like camps or something. I’ll just try to rest and see how to prepare,” he explained.
Praggnanandhaa enters the Candidates on the back of a highly successful year. He won the Tata Chess Masters, defeating fellow Indian GM D Gukesh in a tie-breaker, clinched the Grand Chess Tour Superbet Chess Classic Romania, and took the 2nd UzChess Cup 2025 in blitz tiebreaks. Despite a disappointing campaign at this year’s World Cup, he remains India’s only male representative in the Candidates.
Meanwhile, Indian women’s grandmasters Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, and R Vaishali will compete at the Women’s Candidates, continuing India’s strong presence in international chess.
Praggnanandhaa now shifts focus to rest and strategic preparation, aware that the 2026 Candidates will test even the world’s elite players.