India, April 14 -- As the Candidates in Cyprus is in its squeaky bum (apt given how much sitting down is required to compete) segment, India follows the fortunes of Pragg, Vaishali and Divya. We've been spoiled by 2024 when five Indians (three men and two women) qualified for the Candidates. Divya and Pragg aren't not looking good but Vaishali appears top of her game.

Let's take away our India-specific gaze and contemplate what the Candidates actually means in its full context. On April 17, the last man (and woman) left standing, Candidates trophy in hand will be "as close as he could be without yet having arrived: to the throne, to his lifelong dream, to immortality." This is Canadian journalist Jordan Himelfarb's description of the 202...