Classical chess stands as the undisputed king of the chess world. It’s believed to be the purest form of any is still used to crown legends and world champions. But slowly, it has lost its touch. More and more grandmasters are opting out of classical to move to a faster pace format, like rapid and blitz, or a much more interesting format, like freestyle chess.
So, is it no longer cool to play the classical game on the board? Indian chess sensation, who recently became India’s number 1, R Praggnanandhaa, explained the changing circumstances of the chess universe. So, let’s take a look at what he has to say.
It’s easy to get carried away in the glamorous life of a Grandmaster, battling it out over 64 squares. However, it also takes a lot of preparation. Praggnanandhaa, who already has three major classical titles in 2025, opened up about the same and shared, “It’s difficult to play classical chess because everyone is well prepared… The opening preparation part is huge in classical chess.”
“If you compare it to freestyle, you don’t have to prepare before a game, while in classical chess, you’re basically forced to. I don’t think anyone actually enjoys that process, but you’re forced to and you have to have a plan for everything. That requires a lot of effort,” he added
Classical Chess: Not Just A Mental Game, But Also Physically Tiring
Moreover, classical chess is not just a mental sport, but it also takes a physical toll. Even world champions like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura are stepping away from the classical game and opting for quicker formats.
R Praggnanandhaa explained, “And when you play a lot of such tournaments, then your energy is also (drained)… I mean you can also be mentally and physically exhausted. So all these things happen. I think that’s the reason why everyone prefers other formats,”
So, Is Classical Chess No Longer Cool?
So, is classical chess no longer cool to play? Well, not quite yet. While quicker formats like rapid and blitz have their charm, they can’t outshine the OG.
R Praggnanandhaa explained, “I myself like freestyle much more because of the fact that you don’t have to prepare before a game. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to work on (our) chess. We enjoy working on chess. But the fact that you have to (put endless hours in preparations)… you’re forced to do before the game like three-four hours of preparation, then it’s not really something that everyone enjoys. So yeah, I like freestyle. I like rapid and it’s a bit more than classical for sure. But I think classical is still the main thing,”
So, despite the shift, classical remains the pinnacle of chess. It’s still the format that defines world champions and is a test of ultimate skills, patience, and preparation.
