India, March 26 -- Late last year, Praggnanandhaa reached a point where he found it "boring" to look at chess. It was only fair. He played around 15-17 tournaments across over-the-board, Freestyle, Esports, and online events in 2025. The first half of the year was stellar. But as his physical and mental reserves wore thin, his form and rating dipped and it seemed as though two different players had showed up in each half of the year.

The 21-year-old Indian now heads to his second Candidates - which will run from March 29-April 16 in Cyprus - no longer unfamiliar with the behemoth that is the eight-player tournament, and with the will to make good of a shot at the World Championship. Praggnanandhaa impressed on his debut in the 2024 Candi...