Candidates 2026: Nakamura, Caruana, Praggnanandhaa – Top Contenders' Event Preparations

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Candidates 2026: Top Contenders Prepare for Chess Showdown

While Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana have kept themselves busy ahead of the 2026 Candidates, R Praggnanandhaa has gone in the other direction and taken a break. Image credit: Freestyle Chess/Saint Louis Chess Club/FIDE

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Firstpost•21-03-2026, 05:00

Candidates 2026: Top Contenders Prepare for Chess Showdown

•The Candidates Tournament 2026, hosted in Pegeia, Cyprus, from March 28 to April 16, features top chess players.
•American heavyweights Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana are strong favorites, while R Praggnanandhaa is India's sole representative.
•Four debutants, Matthias Bluebaum, Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi, and Andrey Esipenko, will also compete.
•Praggnanandhaa took a break to recharge after a dip in form, attributing it to continuous tournaments.
•Nakamura and Caruana opted for training matches and tournaments, with Caruana playing in Saint Louis Masters and American Cup, and Nakamura in a training match against Awonder Liang.

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