After a historic win at Norway Chess 2026, Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has earned widespread praise from across the chess world.
However, while many have focused on the 20-year-old’s remarkable title-winning performance, American Grandmaster and world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura has highlighted a different concern regarding Praggnanandhaa’s schedule.
Praggnanandhaa made history at this year’s Norway Chess, becoming the first Indian player to win the tournament. The young Grandmaster achieved the title by securing four consecutive Classical victories in the closing stages of the event, including a crucial win over world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.
Hikaru Nakamura Warns Against Overplaying
In conversation after Norway Chess, Hikaru Nakamura admitted that Praggnanandhaa’s victory wasn’t very surprising for him.
He said, “Pragg winning Norway Chess comes as no surprise to me. Pragg is a very, very good player, a very talented player. His rating at like 2730 is kind of absurd. As far as Pragg goes, my concern is that Pragg is just playing too much chess,”
Nakamura further elaborated on what he sees as a potential long-term challenge for the Indian Grandmaster.
Hikaru Nakamura explained, “I feel like with Pragg, he’s a very, very good player, but he plays too much chess and he burns himself out. I feel like if he played a little bit less that would be a good thing. Otherwise it’s going to be very up and down, like you have good result, bad result, and I think it’s very, very choppy.”
Praggnanandhaa’s schedule over the last few months has been among the busiest in top-level chess.
Read More
The Indian Grandmaster participated in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament between March 29 and April 18, widely regarded as one of the toughest events in the chess calendar.
The tournament turned out to be difficult for Praggnanandhaa, as he finished seventh among eight participants.
Soon after that, he travelled to Romania for the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest, held from May 14 to May 24 as part of the Grand Chess Tour.
Entering the tournament as defending champion, Praggnanandhaa endured another challenging result, finishing ninth in the ten-player field.
Upon entering the Norway Chess, he found himself at the bottom of the six-player standings during the early stages of Norway Chess, but soon after, he made the most impressive comeback of his life.
Winning all four of his remaining Classical games, Praggnanandhaa surged up the standings and ultimately secured the championship.
Read More
The run included a second consecutive Classical victory over defending champion Magnus Carlsen.
The achievement not only earned him one of the biggest titles of his career but also reinforced his status as one of the brightest young stars in global chess.
Tough Times For D Gukesh
While Praggnanandhaa celebrated an incredible comeback victory, the tournament was a massive heartbreak for fellow Indian prodigy and reigning World Champion, D Gukesh.
He struggled immensely throughout the event and ultimately finished at the very bottom of the standings.
This poor performance highlighted a worrying lean patch for the young chess star, leaving fans shocked by his sudden dip in form.
Right now, Gukesh is facing tough criticism from the chess community and fans alike. People are calling him out on social media and internet forums, heavily criticizing his risky playing style.
Observers argue that his aggressive decisions on the board have become too predictable and easily exposed by top-tier opponents, especially when he is already low on confidence.
But despite the growing criticism, chess legends like Viswanathan Anand and Javokhir Sindarov have asked the public to be patient as form swings are completely normal.
Up next, Gukesh will defend his World Championship title against Javokhir Sindarov.
All read: How Does The FIDE Rating System Work?
