R Praggnanandhaa, Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali (Image credit: Agencies) NEW DELHI: Two years ago, when Dommaraju Gukesh stormed Candidates in Toronto, the chess world called it a miracle. By the time he dismantled Ding Liren in Singapore to become the youngest world champion in history, this “miracle” had become something else entirely, rather a seismic shift.Yet, as the marathon to find the next challenger begins in Cyprus this Saturday, there is a strange silence in the Indian camp.
Watch
Exclusive: Hungary #1 Richárd Rapport on Hungarian Chess, GCL, Candidates 2026 and more #chessDespite Gukesh recently admitting that he wouldn’t mind an all-Indian match against R Praggnanandhaa for the title, pre-tournament buzz suggests that the Indian women are not the front-runners in both the open and women’s categories.American Wall: Why Nakamura and Caruana leadThe primary reason for the tempered expectations lies in the sheer mathematical dominance of the American duo, world number one Hikaru Nakamura and world number three Fabian Caruana.In the age of teenage phenoms, veterans recalibrated. At 38, Nakamura remains a freak of nature, maintaining a rating above 2800 while balancing a full-time streaming career. “Nakamura’s best chances cannot be ruled out,” veteran grandmaster Pravin Thipsay told TimesofIndia.com. “He’s the only player to stay above 2800 over the years. Nakamura is a serious contender mainly because of his cleverness in specific opening sets against specific players.”Caruana, 33, presents a different kind of obstacle with his “insurmountable” factor.“He’s very solid,” Thipsay noted. “He doesn’t necessarily win in the opening itself, but he always stands on solid ground. It is possible that Caruana will finish this tournament undefeated. The only problem he faces is the ability to score strongly enough.”Puzzle PraggAs the world waited for Praggnanandhaa to make the final leap, the last few months represented a period of consolidation rather than conquest. After a torrid run in the first half of 2025, the Chennai prodigy found the air a bit thinner at the very top in the second half of the year. And his start to 2026 did not bring many positives either.“Praggnanandhaa has had very good years, but recently he has not been really good,” Thipsay noted. To win over the candidates, Pragg must return to his roots as a cold-blooded striker. “He needs to focus on getting the initiative with the white pieces. His strength is mainly in attacking the enemy king… he is good at tactics and combination,” added the veteran GM.The challenge for the 20-year-old Indian is tactical prowess. In a field that includes Wei Yi and the unpredictable Javokhir Sindarov, who Thipsay warns “can cause upsets but has a habit of making simple mistakes”, Praggnanandhaa cannot afford to play for safe draws if he wants to land that dream All-India World Cup match.Women’s field: Divya Deshmukh‘s edgeIf the Open section feels like an uphill climb, it offers a lighter silver lining to the women’s contenders. With the withdrawal of the legendary Koner Humpy due to security concerns in West Asia, the focus has completely shifted to 20-year-old World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh and 24-year-old Vaishali Rameshbaba, the winner of the 2025 Women’s Grand Swiss.Despite being ranked lower than top seed Zhu Jiner, Divya has a psychological edge that most female players lack as she regularly hunts on the (male-dominated) Open circuit. “The wisdom that Divya shows in playing the men’s contests has made her very strong against the best defenses,” noted Thipsay. “When you play a strong field, you should be able to fight with a good defense. In the past, no Indian except Humpy had ever beaten a Chinese player in a match, but 2025 was different. Divya and Humpy beat four Chinese players between them.”Thipsay believes the title is a straight shootout: “I’d say either Zhu Jiner or Divya are expecting the top spot. Vaishali has an outside shot, but probably only second or third,” he added.Since classes start on Saturday, the narrative is clear. The “Gukesh effect” made the world wary of India’s wonders, but it also forced the old guard to sharpen their steel.For Nakamura and Caruana, this is likely their last realistic shot at a world championship match before the door is slammed shut by the next generation.READ ALSO: Exclusive to Koneru Humpa after withdrawal of candidates: “Would FIDE organize tournaments in Kashmir?”The challenge for India is to prove that Gukesh was not a one off miracle but the first of many.Whether Praggnanandhaa can find her attacking initiative or Divya can dismantle the Chinese wall, the next three weeks in Cyprus will decide whether the World Cup remains an internal Indian affair or a global tug-of-war.
