Only Thought About Candidates For 2 Years, Dealing With That Disappointment: Praggnanandhaa

Indian chess ace R Praggnanandhaa on Thursday admitted that it was hard to come to terms with missing out the Candidates Tournament title, having given "everything" to earn the right to challenge D Gukesh for the World Championship crown, only to be left deeply disappointed.

The 20-year-old Grandmaster was among the eight players who competed in the Candidates in Cyprus earlier this year but endured a disappointing campaign, finishing seventh as Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov claimed the title and the right to face Gukesh for the world crown.

Praggnanandhaa now has an opportunity to put the Candidates disappointment behind him at Norway Chess, where he has emerged as a title contender, sitting third with two rounds remaining and just two points behind leader Wesley So. He can kickstart the new two-year World Championship cycle on a positive note with a title here.

“Yeah, certainly that's (disappointment of not doing well in Candidates) is something that I have to deal with because in the last two years I was thinking only about this cycle... I sort of gave everything for this. There was nothing else I was thinking about," said the Chennai-based GM, reflecting on the disappointment of missing out in the Candidates.

“You can also see from the tournaments I played last year that I was just going for this (Candidates qualification)...one spot in FIDE circuit and it is disappointing the way it ends like this. But, yeah, it is what it is. I have to try and get back to playing tournaments,” he added.

Praggnanandhaa said after investing so much time and energy into qualifying for the Candidates, he now wants to rediscover the joy of the game without constantly looking ahead to the next qualification race.

“After the Candidates, I felt like I just want to enjoy chess now. I just want to play and have fun. Last year, I was just going for that one thing but now I feel I don't want to think about the next cycle...all the way from now I just want to chill and enjoy chess,” he said.

While many elite players take months to recover from the agony of a major setback, Praggnanandhaa said he tends to bounce back relatively quickly, drawing strength from the success of his sister R Vaishali, whose triumph in the Women’s Candidates and qualification for a World Championship match against defending champion Ju Wenjun provided a welcome source of comfort.

“I am usually quick (to recover from disappointments). And, I think, like this Candidates specifically like my sister winning, certainly helped with me cope with my (own) disappointment,” he added.

Praggnanandhaa, who also featured in the 2024 Candidates where Gukesh emerged victorious before going on to defeat Ding Liren for his world title, said he would make a conscious effort to lighten his schedule, admitting that constantly living out of a suitcase had taken its toll.

“Yeah, that's something that I've decided... I'll try to play less. Try to have breaks in between. Last year, even though the results went my way, it was a bit too much to play so much of chess.

“I'm still probably going to play almost all the (big) tournaments, but I'll probably skip like EWC (Esports World Cup) and all these other tournaments. At some point, you just have to prioritise." He agreed that some time away from the game was necessary to reset and recharge, and to focus on sharpening skills, adding that without such breaks the constant grind of the circuit can become mentally and physically draining.

“For sure. I think at some point, you're just burnt out. You don't have energy. Even if you have physical energy, you just don't have the mental energy to do the same thing (in) pretty much every tournament. The same routine and everything; it's tiring at some point.

“It just becomes automatic, that you just don't enjoy it anymore. It just happens. That's why I think these breaks are important. I can't really say the exact moment (when I felt the burnout), but at some point, I counted this.

"..in three months, I travelled to seven countries, which is too much for anyone. You're not going there to just have a look at the players. You're going there to fight in every tournament and all these tournaments are super strong. It is mentally tiring. But it's me that signed up for all these tournaments, so I have to take it whatever comes."

On the human side, the champion, backed by Adani Sportsline’s “Garv Hai” initiative, said he never turns a child away when asked for an autograph, recalling how he too once chased signatures of his own heroes.

“It's nice to see that people look up to a chess player and want to take up chess. Whenever there is some kid coming to take a picture or coming for autograph, I try to do my best. I try to give them a little bit of time.

"When I started, that's how you start. You look up to someone and you start the game.” Praggnanandhaa said he does not regret not completing his studies. He said might not have achieved the same level of success in chess that he has today had he focused more on academics.

“You have to give (up) certain things for certain things. I don't really regret it, but I would have loved to have some school friends or college friends. But when I'm going for something much bigger, I'm happy with how things are."