Ramachandran Ramesh

Indian GM, Praggnananda's Couch

“There is a significant difference between the Top-3 Indian players, Gukesh, Arjun and Pragg.

I’d say Arjun is probably more mentally stable than the other two. His style of play is more enterprising. He can perform poorly in one tournament and then shine in the next. In my opinion, he’s a well-rounded player.

In case of Gukesh, I think his main strength is his insane self-belief. he just thinks he is too good and that helps him. That gives Gukesh the courage to do insanely risky things even in difficult situations. And he can get away with it.

As for Gukesh, I think his greatest strength is his incredible self-confidence. He simply thinks he’s too good, and that helps him. It gives Gukesh the courage to implement incredibly risky tactics even in difficult situations. And most of the time, he gets away with it.

As for Pragg… it’s a mixed bag. Sometimes I get confused, but I think he’s probably the best of the three, the best Indian player.

Over the past few years, he has molded himself into one particular way. His other strengths are hidden. He now plays solid, consistent chess and tends toward safer options, likely due to his incredibly intense tournament schedule. Living out of a suitcase leaves no time for introspection or change.”