R Praggnanandhaa is struggling at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee, with only 4.5 points after 11 rounds. The Indian grandmaster, who qualified for the upcoming Candidates Tournament, has cited fatigue from a hectic schedule as a factor in his performance. Despite the dip, he remains optimistic about his preparation for the March event.
The Tata Steel Masters tournament in Wijk aan Zee, often called the 'Wimbledon of Chess,' has started poorly for India's top players. After 11 rounds in the 2026 edition, R Praggnanandhaa sits in 11th place with 4.5 points from one win, three losses, and seven draws. D Gukesh is 10th, Aravindh Chithambaram 12th, and Arjun Erigaisi 13th in a field of 14, putting all three at risk of falling out of the world top 10 when rankings update soon. Two rounds remain, and the focus is on limiting further damage.
This contrasts sharply with last year's success, where India achieved a 1-2 finish and Gukesh was runner-up. Praggnanandhaa, now world No. 13 after losing 15.6 rating points, began the year with high hopes after winning four titles in 2025 and leading the FIDE Circuit to qualify for the Candidates. He is the only Indian in the open section, set to start on March 28.
Praggnanandhaa's form has been a shadow of his previous achievements. He started the tournament with two losses, including one to Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Reflecting on his play, he said, “I started with two losses which wasn’t great. My opponents also played well. I didn’t get too many chances. I was bad in the first game and Nodirbek played a good game in the second. You need momentum to get into a tournament, which I didn’t get. My play wasn’t as bad as the results look. Hopefully, it will improve.”
The 20-year-old attributed his dip partly to exhaustion from non-stop travel since November, including events in Goa, London, Mumbai, Doha, and Kolkata. In Kolkata, he admitted feeling fatigued. Regarding the Candidates, he remains confident: “I don’t think this will have anything to do with it because I haven’t even started preparing.”
Other Candidates participants like joint leader Javokhir Sindarov, Matthias Bluebaum (half a point behind with a 22.6 rating gain), and Anish Giri (now eighth) are performing strongly. Experts believe Praggnanandhaa's current low profile is strategic preparation, and a break after the tournament will help him reset for the bigger challenge ahead.
