In August 2022, Fabiano Caruana was asked about India’s younger generation of GMs on a podcast on Chessbase India. Caruana talked about how much he appreciates Arjun Erigaisi, how he wants to see how D Gukesh will play after his hot streak has cooled and how impressive Nihal Sarin’s play is. any in the fast and lightning modes. Then he went to R Praggnanandhaa.
He clearly appreciated the 18-year-old Indian in fast and blitz chess but Caruana, at the time, felt that Praggnanandhaa’s classic play still had a long way to go.
“He feels underrated in Classics… but I’m not sure what that means,” he said. “I wouldn’t say he’s a top player but he might be soon.”
On Saturday, when the two clash in the semifinals of the World Chess Championship, Caruana will have a chance to see how Praggnanandhaa has progressed over the past 12 months. The match will see them play two classic games (each with black and white pieces) and then move on to victory or defeat if necessary, where quick games of chess will be followed by blitz .
Praggnanandhaa, who became the first Indian since Viswanathan Anand in 2002 to reach the semi-finals, was unafraid of the big stage. Instead, it seemed to motivate him and set him free. Proof of this trait was seen in the FTX Crypto Cup when he defeated Magnus Carlsen in three matchups. It brought the world’s attention to the young player, who continued his upward trajectory. One thing impressed Caruana.
Caruana said: “Pragg had three wins in the Crypto Cup — he beat Magnus on demand. “It’s not about first or second but to beat Magnus in one game is a huge feat for a young player.”
Those wins will be something Praggnanandhaa can rely on whenever he needs a confidence boost. At the same time, they will also put their opponents on alert. Underestimating him is dangerous for yourself because, as world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura discovered earlier in the tournament, Praggnanandhaa can be very smart and tenacious.
On paper, Caruana has a clear advantage. He is known for his precise and meticulous planning, which will help him on the classic track. His Elo Rating in Classics is 2782, Blitz 2763, Blitz 2813. He’s also not an easy guy — many will remember his 2018 world championship match against Carlsen with 12 consecutive draws. next.
Caruana said after beating Leinier Dominguez Perez in the quarterfinals: “I’m not confident I’ll win this match; I would be lying if I said I was confident of winning the World Cup, or even confident of winning the next one.”
But Praggnanandhaa will know that at this stage of the tournament, reputation is not as important. Chess is too volatile and this format has allowed some difficulties. So even though his Elo ratings are lower in all three modes — 2707 (classic), 2645 (fast), 2623 (blitz), he knows he has a fair chance.
“It’s fun to play against any strong player and Fabi (Caruana) is very strong,” Praggnanandhaa said after winning the quarter-finals. “I will try to do my best. After the battle with Hikaru, I needed a day off to get rid of that. Every day of rest counts. I don’t know about the others.”
Managing fatigue was as important as preparation and Caruana had an extra day of rest compared to Praggnanandhaa, who played a grueling match against Erigaisi. How many factors will prove?
“In general, my routine is to relax in the evening, think about what to play the next day, then prepare a little in the morning and play the game,” Praggnanandhaa said after advancing to the semifinals.
It has worked so far and he will hope things can continue in the same way.
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