Bengaluru: Praggnanandhaa, the 20-year-old Indian chess sensation, is gearing up for his second Candidates tournament, which will take place in Cyprus from March 29 to April 16.
After a stellar first half of 2025, Praggnanandhaa's form and rating dipped due to fatigue, but he has been working hard to regain his momentum. His mentor and coach, RB Ramesh, believes that Praggnanandhaa has the potential to win the tournament, but needs to replicate his performance under pressure.
Praggnanandhaa impressed on his debut in the 2024 Candidates, finishing fifth, and has been training with a new team, including Indian Grandmaster Vaibhav Suri, who will be travelling with him to the tournament. The team has been focusing on being more ambitious with openings and studying Praggnanandhaa's competitors.
Praggnanandhaa has been working on his endurance and finding calm through meditation and the gym, and is looking to overcome his tendency to become positionally-oriented in endgames. Despite not being the outright favourite, Praggnanandhaa is among the contenders and has the potential to beat anyone on his day.
