American Grandmaster Wesley So, currently in Mumbai for his debut in the third edition of the Global Chess League (GCL), has weighed in on the upcoming Candidates tournament scheduled for March-April next year in Cyprus.
"Fabi has so much experience at the Candidates and has also played the World championship match," So said. "I think it will be great if he becomes the challenger, but I think Praggnanandhaa also has a strong chance, and he has had a great year, winning so many major tournaments."
The prospect of an all-Indian World Championship clash remains a compelling possibility for So. "In fact, a match between Gukesh and Pragg will be very interesting – two young Indians taking on each other, and they have different styles, too," he noted.
So, who is representing the Mumba Masters alongside teammates like Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Koneru Humpy, admitted his own recent form suffered due to fatigue. "I don’t want to make excuses for my performance, but I was a bit tired after playing the strong US National championship," he said, reflecting on his early exit from the World Cup. "Yes, it is disappointing that I could not qualify for the Candidates."
Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa, who secured his spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament by winning the FIDE Circuit 2025, addressed the evolving landscape of the sport during an interaction at the Dharavi Chess Championship. With the new 'Total Chess World Championship Tour' set to launch next year and become an annual affair from 2027, questions have arisen about the status of the traditional World Championship.
Praggnanandhaa believes the classical format remains the pinnacle. "I honestly haven’t really read through the regulations properly... But I do know that the winner of that will be qualified as a Candidate, so that essentially means that the World Championship is still the priority," he explained.
The new tour, which aims to crown a champion across Fast Classic, Rapid, and Blitz disciplines, is seen by Praggnanandhaa as a positive development for professional sustainability. "I am happy to see that there are new opportunities for the players to play... in that way it is great to see new tournaments coming up," he said. While acknowledging that "constant shifts" in formats can be "difficult to adjust to," he emphasized the benefit of having more events where players "can make a living out of playing."
Returning to Mumbai, where he won the World Youth Chess Championship in 2019, Praggnanandhaa insisted he is not resting on past records or looking too far ahead regarding his Candidates preparation. "I am just going to take one game at a time, it is too far-fetched to think about winning already; of course I want to do it," he said.
He added that his preparation will encompass everything from rest to mental focus. "It gives me a lot of positive feelings when coming to the city... Chess has been growing; we are seeing so much excitement all around," he concluded.
