Pragg favourite to win Prague Masters

PRAGUE: Fresh off his nail-biting victory at the Tata Steel Masters, Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa will start as the hot favourite to win the Prague Masters, which gets under way here on Wednesday.

It was a gruelling first-place finish at the Tata Steel Masters, where Praggnanandhaa overcame world champion D Gukesh in a nerve-wracking tiebreak battle and the Indian will now look to carry that momentum forward in this tournament.

Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram makes his debut in elite chess, thanks to his consistent rise in both performance and rating throughout last year.

Having elevated himself to 2730 points in live ratings, Aravindh is knocking on the door of the top 20 in the world rankings and is currently ranked fifth in the country, behind Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa, and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand.

The field, as usual, is an interesting mix. Chinese Grandmaster Wei Yi starts as the top seed, with Praggnanandhaa in second place based on ratings released on February 1. Le Quang Liem of Vietnam is seeded third, ahead of Vincent Keymer of Germany, while Aravindh is seeded fourth in the 10-player, 9-round all-play-all event.

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri could draw attention here, thanks to his vast theoretical preparation, which might prove useful. The best Czech player, David Navara, along with Nguyen Thai Dai Van, Sam Shankland of the United States, and young talent Edil Gurez, complete the line-up.

For Praggnanandhaa, it would be a great opportunity as the Indian has the ability to outplay any opponent, giving him a distinct advantage over the others in the fray.

Aravindh will also look to make his presence felt, as he is backed by determination and skill, which could help him score some victories. However, consistency will be key for him.

The first round of both sections will start on Wednesday.