India, March 27 -- How does a generation of players cope with the consummate, otherworldly skill and success of one or a few? In tennis, the triumvirate of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic swept up everything between them. Chiefly, 66 Grand Slams.

"Magnus (Carlsen) did something of that sort in chess," Grandmaster Levon Aronian told HT, referring to the five-time world champion who held a decade-long stranglehold on the title from 2013 to 2023. "There were many deserving players. Fabiano (Caruana) is one of them. In many ways, I suppose I could count myself too. But Magnus was one-of-a-kind. He was just that good."

The Armenian-American, now 43, is a former world No. 2 who reached a peak rating of 2830 and has played in n...