Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa has emerged as a role model for young players, especially after defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas earlier this year. Meanwhile, his compatriot D Gukesh has carved his own path, famously beating Carlsen at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz tournament in Zagreb in July, and again during Round 6 of Norway Chess 2025.

Speaking on a podcast with Curly Tales, hosted by Kamya Jani, Praggnanandhaa opened up about his long-standing equation with Gukesh — a mix of rivalry and camaraderie.

Praggnanandhaa, 20, revealed that although they studied at the same school and live in the same Chennai neighbourhood, they never interacted growing up. “I started playing before him. I was already stronger (in the game) whe

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