'Always Wanted To Win A Tournament When Magnus Is Playing': Praggnanandhaa After Historic Norway Chess Triumph

Always wanted to win a tournament when Magnus is playing: Praggnanandhaa after historic Norway Chess (Image Source: IANS)

World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju: For years, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa watched Magnus Carlsen dominate world chess. This week, the Indian Grandmaster achieved something he had long aspired to do- win a major tournament with the Norwegian legend in the field.

Praggnanandhaa scripted history by becoming the first Indian to claim the prestigious Norway Chess title, completing a remarkable turnaround after finding himself at the bottom of the standings after six rounds. In an exclusive interaction with IANS, the 20-year-old reflected on his comeback, victories over elite opponents, handling pressure, and the lessons he took away from the biggest title of his career.

While his wins over Carlsen grabbed headlines, Praggnanandhaa said the losses against the World No. 1 have been equally valuable in shaping him as a player.

“I have lost so many times that I think only the wins get a lot of attention. But I think, you know, he is, I mean, such a great player that every time I play with him, I always learn a lot. And he is someone that I have, you know, grown up watching his game, and the way he has dominated the chess world for the last 15 years is just amazing. I mean, even now, whenever he plays a tournament, he is the favourite to win, and he ends up winning most of the tournaments. He's probably still the best. And it's something I've always wanted: to win a tournament when he is playing, because he usually wins most of them,” Praggnanandhaa told IANS.

Looking back at the moment when his title aspirations began to feel real, Praggnanandhaa pointed to his victory over Carlsen as a major turning point.

“Once, I mean, I bet earlier that I felt a lot more in control in that game. And then I felt there was an outside chance I could get to the top, but I still had to cross the big hurdle of Magnus in the next round. So I was focused on that. And then, you know, the opponents are also fighting, so I knew I could get my chances if I played well. So once I beat Magnus, it gave me a lot of confidence, and I felt that I could actually do it. And then, you know, I also needed things to go my way. Some moments went my way. But I think when you play well, sometimes you do get this luck at the right moment,” he said.

The Norway Chess champion believes some of his finest chess came at the business end of the tournament, when the pressure was at its highest, as he said, “I'll say the last two games were quite good quality. I felt a lot more in control. I don't think I made any mistakes as such. And also, winning those games in the final games is always high-pressure. So, I think playing a controlled game in such a situation is something I always want to do. But, you know, to have it happen is a special thing.”

Despite facing some of the strongest players in the world, Praggnanandhaa said his focus throughout the event remained on producing high-quality chess rather than getting consumed by the stature of his opponents.

“In every game, you sort of try different opening strategies and so on. But I think overall, I wanted to play my best. I wanted to play good-quality chess. I think I managed to do that. I mean, in general, I think that at some point in every game, I started to feel like I was pushing. So that shows that I, like, none of the games, I was completely in a defensive mode. So that's a good thing. And, you know, playing good-quality chess is what I wanted to do. And I'm happy that I managed to do it,” the Indian grandmaster stated.

Praggnanandhaa also shed light on the mental challenge of dealing with mistakes during a game, explaining why dwelling on errors can often lead to further problems.

“It depends on the type of mistake and which game you're in. I mean, all these things do matter. But in general, I think regretting a mistake is the last thing you want to do in chess. And this is something that always happens to players. You can see mistakes come in pairs because once a mistake is made, players realise they shouldn't have made it.

“These thoughts keep coming, and this affects players. And then, you know, you see another mistake. So I think we are all experienced enough not to do this, but it also happens to everyone. So it's not something that you can avoid all the time. But in general, most of the time, you should just try to forget about the previous move and keep playing what the position demands,” the 20-year-old said.

Among the highlights of the tournament were victories over World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Carlsen, but Praggnanandhaa said the biggest takeaway was the confidence he gained from the way he won the title.

“These thoughts keep coming, and this affects players. And then, you know, you see another mistake. So I think we are all experienced enough not to do this, but it also happens to everyone. So it's not something that you can avoid all the time. But in general, most of the time, you should just try to forget about the previous move and keep playing what the position demands,” the 20-year-old said.

For Praggnanandhaa, the historic triumph was not just about adding another trophy to his collection. It was also the fulfilment of a long-held ambition, winning a tournament featuring the player he grew up watching and learning from, while proving to himself that he could deliver when it mattered most.

Article Source: IANS