Coach reveals how Praggnanandhaa dealt with tough times as Gukesh raced ahead

Time of India

4 hours ago

CHENNAI: The new-age rivalry in Indian chess is getting fiercer day by day. Three young Indian boys sit in the top-six of the live world ratings — R Praggnanandhaa at No. 4, Arjun Erigaisi next, and world champion D Gukesh close behind.
But it's the duel between 20-year-old Pragg and 19-year-old Gukesh that stokes the flame.
In fact, Pragg was the first to reach the Candidates among the two, after securing his berth at the World Cup in August 2023. Gukesh found his way later through the Chennai Grand Masters in December, clinched his spot, and went all the way to be crowned world champion. Meanwhile, Pragg's run at the Candidates in April 2024 didn't pan out as hoped; he finished fifth.
The Chennai boy had told TOI earlier that the previous year had been a difficult period. Pragg's long-time coach, RB Ramesh, revealed how they paved the way for a comeback this year.
'First thing is he was playing a bit too much last year. And he is not used to playing so much. We always have some breaks in between where we can rest and go through what went wrong, what changes we have to make. But we didn't get that opportunity till the end of the year,' Ramesh said on the sidelines of the Chennai Grand Masters event on Monday.
'And then we spoke a lot...I gave my feedback; he gave his feedback. And what changes we need to make. These were the things we were discussing at the end of last year: 'Does it have a negative impact on you?'…Because Gukesh, rating-wise, went up. And then, Pragg was 2,740 in January (2024), and managed 2740 something in December as well. He had some ups and downs in between. So 'does others' performance have an impact on you?' These were some of the issues we discussed.
And, he has been able to get results so far this year.'
Ramesh said that for prodigies like Pragg, learning to share the stage with peers of the same age was something new.
'We are all human, and we are emotional people. So, it will have an impact when your competitors are doing better. It can affect you. At the same time, it can inspire you and motivate you. But you also don't want to be left behind. So, in a way, it's positive, but it can also be depressing and pressurising if you don't treat it in the right manner.
I think everyone has to go through it. Initially, it was not very easy because they were young, and they didn't have the maturity.
And also, it was new.
'For example, when Pragg won the World Under-18 Championship, he felt at that time he was the best player in the world. And suddenly there is a competition and that too someone of your age. This was new. But I think in the last two years, everyone kind of got used to this. So, they don't see them as contemporaries anymore, there's a healthy race.'
Ramesh is crystal clear on how Pragg should chart his course forward. To brave the storm of doubts, rivalry, and pressure, the youngster needs to be self-reliant, the coach said.
'Ideally, if someone wants to be the world champion, he or she should not be looking for motivation and inspiration from others. The less reliant you are on others, the closer you will be to becoming a world champion. The more you rely on others, it's like you don't believe in yourself. In that sense, that has been our approach. He has to be very independent, make his own decisions, go through the hardships himself, learn to deal with them, and grow and evolve in the process.
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Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!