In a post‑Olympiad interview, R. Praggnanandhaa discusses his team's silver‑medal finish at the 2026 Chess Olympiad, noting a modest rating gain of 6.5 points. He evaluates his individual performance, highlighting several missed chances across key games. He recounts a near‑winning position against David Anton, a critical queen‑d1 move, and a missed b4 push in a game where he eventually traded queens. He analyzes his encounter with Anish Giri, describing a mis‑read bishop‑f2 check and the resulting queen‑exchange dynamics. He reflects on tactical ideas against Vidit Vitugov, including a memorable knight‑a5 maneuver, and comments on his preparation against Anton, citing a 20‑move deep line and a bishop‑e3 idea. Praggnanandhaa also reviews his game versus Abdusattorov, acknowledging a missed opportunity to press after a d5 push. Beyond the board, he emphasizes strong team camaraderie, especially with fellow young players Gukesh, Vidit, and newcomer Nihal, mentioning shared activities like padel. He proudly notes receiving three "Man of the Match" awards for his three wins. The interview concludes with a look ahead to the upcoming Clutch Chess event in St. Louis, USA, and a light‑hearted comment on team humor, naming Gukesh as the most humorous teammate.
Chapters
Pragg, congratulations for the silver medal and, uh, playing on board 1. Are you happy with your performance? You performed really well. I think you also maintained your rating. You gained couple of rating points, 6.5 out of 10, unbeaten.
Yeah, I mean, it was, it was okay. I mean, with the positions I had, I should have scored much more. I had a lot of chances which I missed. Especially when, like, when you start with 3 draws in a row at the start against lower rated, to finish with this, I think it's pretty decent. But yeah, overall, I mean, team won silver, so it's overall a good result for the team.
You said you missed a few chances. Which one stands out for you?
Obviously, a game against Anton was completely winning. Yeah, I felt at some point I was pushing in every single game, like I was creating a lot of chances. So, that's like a really positive thing. Like, even against Vincent, I managed to come close to creating something.
Actually, that was very critical because it was like Gukesh was losing in that one, and then you had to somehow push. But what to do? It looked very equal, and then you found this move. I think it was Queen d1, and the threat that was like, if you took— if you took on d5—
Yeah, it was Bishop d2 with idea e4, Queen d1, and Queen d5, Bishop e3. Yeah, I think that was a nice moment. And then I could have actually created a lot of chances if I— at some point I had like 2 ways to create a lot of pressure, but which I missed. But overall, like, I think— I mean, not just that game, but like in general, I was creating a lot of play. Like even the game against Shark, I should have like— I could have created more pressure.
Oh yes, that game, like Why were you not pushing b4? You were waiting for something, and then in the end it was a very quick end. And you know, like, you're +1, and usually it doesn't happen with you that you misassess.
Yeah, no, um, no, at this point there is this b4 thing. Finally, I was talking to Arjun about this today. Like, I think the moment you say was with the rook on c4, but b4, cb, Rook bb4, Rook c4, Rook c4, Rook c8, uh, let's say Queen c2, Rook c4, Queen c4, something like this. I get like queen to c7, but he gets like king to e7 or something. I thought this position is just a draw, like I didn't see another way. And I think computer shows like +1 or something, but I don't know how it breaks. Like I'm yet to check it deeply. Uh, I don't know if there is a way or it's just like usual computer +1 thing. I don't know, like I have to check it. But apart from like, apart from that, like I think until the very end, like until I went rook a1, the position was still pretty good. Like I should keep Keep the queens and then— Just trade h2. Yeah, yeah, I didn't understand that I shouldn't trade the queens. And then once I traded the queens, I started to be a little worried that I might like get worse. I was also getting low on time, so I offered a draw. But I think at that point it was already equal.
Yes. And the game with Anish Giri was very interesting because he took this bishop h3 and he got very excited. Had you missed that knight c6, queen c7 was very good for him, or what happened?
No, I saw that. I saw knight b8, bishop g4. And here I thought I can go Knight a6. This is what I saw from far, but I missed Bishop f2 check here. King after Queen a7 check, and then like I'm losing, I'm losing the queen. So yeah, then it's, it's worse for me, but I didn't think it was that bad. Like we both thought it's, it's like pleasant for black, but it's not like big advantages. The computer was showing like some plus.
Like instead of Queen takes c3, Queen e7 was better.
Yeah, it was showing like 1.5 or something, which was difficult to understand. I thought black should be slightly better. And yeah, and then I thought I played really well. Like, once I got the counterplay, I thought I also put pressure on his clock and I got a lot of— I managed to create some chances.
Yes, that was a very good conversion there. I think he got some drawing chance in the end, but some very weird moves.
Yeah, I think he had to go like— I think 40th move, he had to go like some c2 or something.
Yeah, c2 instead of King d8.
Yeah, like the thing is, so when he went Knight d3, I already spotted that King c7, Knight b4 wins. So, I went like, I thought knight d3 is just winning.
Ah, you had to go knight f3.
Yeah, I mean, even that is not like easy to understand because all these like 3 versus 2 can, can end in a draw. So, I wasn't really sure about that, but c2 was nice. I think he had time, he could have maybe spent on it, but king c7 is so natural that you make it.
And then you played with Vitugov. In that game, there was this moment where you played knight a5. I was thinking most natural is to play a5, knight d4, take, take, bishop a6, and, you know, play that position. But knight a5, knight c4 felt so nice, then a5, a4, it, it was a good idea.
Yeah, the funny thing is it was all in the file which I just couldn't remember. Maybe, like, I— the, the idea of seeing that, like, somewhere earlier might have, like, come in handy, like, subconsciously, like, you— the pattern comes to you. But, um, yeah, I couldn't remember, like, my files. Like, I didn't check, look at it that day and it was difficult, but I think overall it was a really good game.
Very nice game with nice tactics and all. And then, uh, you played like David Anton and you said like, I think what really stood out was your preparation in that game to get against such a solid player with black pieces winning chances. I think showed some great prep.
Yeah, that was a nice prep, I think. Yeah, we got like some 20 moves in. I had like one hour time advantage, and then also I really liked this moment where I found this bishop e3 bishop d2 idea, like which I saw from far.
Queen a3 bd2.
Yeah, yeah, it was nice, but then not to convert that was yeah was was sad, but okay, you know it happens.
Yeah, I think you would usually convert it easily. It was not so difficult.
It was like straight forward game. Like I still can't understand why I didn't do that. Like I saw some weird line and I rejected it, but usually these two Chances I don't miss. Like, I usually calculate it well, but yeah, happens.
And then against Abdusattorov, it felt like when you pushed d5 that you would get something, and I think you got something, but it very quickly petered out.
Yeah, I could have maybe pressed a little harder in that game. Like, that was something that I later felt like I should have, you know, tried to maybe push harder, but Yeah, it's not really. I mean, it's easy to say after the match, but yeah, that time I thought what I did was a decent thing. But yeah, given the position, like I should have tried to you know. I think the best plan was some knight e8, knight d6, knight f5, which I even spotted, but I kind of like yeah, I thought it should be fine for him. But yeah, I had like some little edge which I could have pressed to.
Overall, the team camaraderie this time looked really very close, no? Yeah, yeah, it was.
It was a lot of fun with the team. I mean, like, 4 of us are from like the same, same age group. Yeah, like we are in the same thing. But I think overall it was like really fun. I really enjoyed with the team and it was more or less the similar team from last year. So we all like knew each other very well, like from last year. So I think that team spirit also like just continued.
And Nihal wasn't there last year, but he, you know, from years.
Yeah, yeah, we have Nihal. I mean, instead of Aryana, but I think both are like really fun. So you don't really— I mean, I think you enjoy the company with each other.
Nihal is too good at padel, right?
Yeah, I mean, I shouldn't miss my bus, but yes.
I don't think so.
Yeah, it should be true. Yeah, he's good. He's really good. I think he was more focused on padel than chess. No, okay, I'm kidding. But he was playing every day. I think it's a good way to like relax, you know.
And did you get Man of the Match awards?
Yes.
How many?
I got 3.
Wow!
I won 3 games and I got those 3.
Amazing! Well, Prag, congrats for the silver, and also I think next will be Clutch Chess.
Yeah.
In the US. Again, you have to go to US.
Yeah, I have to go to St. Louis.
Well, take good rest now and all the best.
Thank you.
So, Prag, the camaraderie was very good, as Gukesh and Vidit were talking about. And they were laughing a lot. So who do you think in the whole team has the best sense of humor?
Um, probably Gugukesh. Yeah, I think he was the one who was making a lot of jokes this year.
And you are also considering yourself in that? Yeah.
No, no, no, no. I think I was the quietest in the team meeting. Oh, okay.
