R Prajanananda, Divya Deshmukh, R Vaishali (Image credit: Agencies)
NEW DELHI – Two years ago, when Domaraju Jokic stormed the candidates in Toronto, the chess world called it a miracle. By the time he dismantled Ding Liren in Singapore to become the youngest world champion ever “miracle” It had become something else entirely, more like a seismic shift.However, as the marathon race to find his next opponent begins on Saturday in Cyprus, an eerie silence falls over the Indian camp.
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Although Jokish recently admitted that he would not mind an all-Indian clash against R Prajanananda for the title, the pre-tournament hype suggests that the Indians are not the clear favorites in both the open and women’s categories.The American Wall: Why Nakamura and Caruana LeadThe main reason for these lowered expectations lies in the sheer athletic dominance of the American duo, ranked No. 1 in the world.
2 Hikaru Nakamura and World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana.In the age of teen phenomena, veterans have recalibrated themselves. Nakamura, 38, remains a stranger to nature, maintaining a rating of over 2,800 while balancing a full-time broadcasting career.
“One cannot discount Nakamura’s best chances,” Veteran Grandmaster Pravin Thepsai told TimesofIndia.com. “He is the only player to have maintained above 2800 all these years. Nakamura is a serious competitor due to his intelligence in specific opening preparations against specific players.”
Caruana, 33, has a different kind of obstacle with him “Unbeatable” factor.“It is very durable,” Thepsai pointed out. “He doesn’t necessarily want to win the opening itself, but he’s always on solid ground. It is possible that Caruana will finish undefeated at this event. The only problem he has is being able to score big enough.”Prague puzzleWhile the world waited for Pragnananda to take the final leap, recent months were a period of consolidation rather than conquest.
After a strong run in the first half of 2025, the Chennai Miracle found the air a little thinner at the top during the latter half of the year. His start to 2026 didn’t hold much positivity either.“Pragnananda had very good years, but lately, he has not been really good,” Thepsai noted. To win the favourites, Prague must return to their roots as a cold-blooded striker.
“He should focus on gaining the initiative with the white pieces.
His strength mainly lies in attacking the enemy king… He is good at tactics and combinations,” added the veteran general manager.The challenge facing the 20-year-old Indian is tactical courage. In a field that includes Wei Yi and the unpredictable Javokhir Sindarov, who is warned by Thepsay “He may cause disturbances but has a habit of making simple mistakes”Pragnananda cannot afford to play for a safe draw if he wants to make his dream match an all-Indian World Series.Women’s field: Divya DeshmukhedgeIf the open division seems like a climb, the female candidates offer a brighter side. With the withdrawal of the legendary Koneru Hampi due to safety concerns in West Asia, the spotlight has completely turned to 20-year-old World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh and 24-year-old Vaishali Rameshbabu, the 2025 Swiss Women’s Grand Champion winner.Despite being ranked lower than top seed Zhou Jenner, Divya has a psychological advantage that most female players lack, as she regularly hunts in the open circuit (which is dominated by men).
“The wisdom Divya showed in playing the men’s competition made her very strong against the best defence.” Thepsai noted. “When you play on a strong field, you have to be able to handle good defence. In the past, no Indian, except Hampi, could beat two Chinese players in a single match, but 2025 was different. Divya and Hampi defeated four Chinese players between them.”Thipsay believes the title is a straight shootout: “I would say the top position is expected to go to Zhu Jiner or Divya.
Vaishali has an outside chance, but maybe only for the second or third,” He added.As the clock ticked down on Saturday, the narrative became clear. the “Gokish effect” It has made the world wary of Indian miracles, but it has also forced the old guard to sharpen their steel.For Nakamura and Caruana, this will likely be their last realistic shot at a World Series match before Next Generation closes the door.Read also: Koneru Hampi Exclusive after Candidates Withdraw: “Will the FIDE hold tournaments in Kashmir?”For India, the task is to prove that Gokesh was not a stand-alone miracle, but the first of many.Whether Pragnananda finds his offensive initiative or Divya dismantles the Chinese wall, the next three weeks in Cyprus will decide whether the World Series remains an internal Indian affair or a global tug-of-war.