Carlsen Backs Praggnanandhaa and Gives Gukesh Hope Against Sindarov
Magnus Carlsen has openly expressed his admiration for R. Praggnanandhaa, despite the young Indian Grandmaster defeating him twice during the recent Norway Chess tournament in Oslo, Carlsen’s home city.
Carlsen described himself as a fan of Praggnanandhaa and praised the Indian’s attacking style. He said he enjoys watching the Chennai Grandmaster compete and believes his aggressive approach has been producing excellent results recently. According to Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa has largely maintained the same style of play.
The five time World champion, who is currently in the city for the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, particularly appreciates how Praggnanandhaa consistently puts pressure on his opponents.
Carlsen said Praggnanandhaa is capable of creating problems for almost every player, including himself. However, he added that the Indian star has yet to establish a clear gap over the other leading players because he has not achieved the required level of consistency.
Carlsen also spoke about D. Gukesh, the reigning World champion, and his upcoming World title defence against Javokhir Sindarov. The Norwegian believes Gukesh will face a difficult challenge in the match.
According to Carlsen, Gukesh’s performances over the past couple of years suggest that he should not approach the contest simply as a player defending his title. Instead, he should see it as an opportunity where he has plenty to gain.
Carlsen acknowledged that Gukesh demonstrated his ability to reach an exceptionally high level during 2024 when everything came together for him. However, he suggested that many observers are not convinced the Indian will reproduce that level of performance in the upcoming match.
At the same time, Carlsen pointed out that the psychological side of chess could play a major role. He believes even a small shift in confidence could affect the balance between the two players.
Carlsen currently considers Sindarov the clear favourite. However, he believes Gukesh still has a realistic opportunity because World Championship matches can be decided by just one or two victories, particularly in a sport where many games tend to end in draws.
Carlsen said Gukesh has already demonstrated that his highest level is comparable to, and potentially even better than, Sindarov’s. He explained that the early stages of the match could be especially important. If Sindarov takes an early lead, Gukesh’s task would become significantly harder. On the other hand, if Gukesh establishes an early advantage, he could quickly become the player with the greater chances of winning the title.
Carlsen also shared his views on the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League. He praised the format, particularly the absence of increments during the games.
The Norwegian said he would have preferred an even simpler time control without the additional two seconds after the 40th move. He joked that the extra time was introduced following a request from players who can sometimes be incompetent and lazy.