R Praggnanandhaa: Playing Style, Openings and Best Games
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa ("Pragg") is an Indian grandmaster who earned the title at 12 and reached the 2023 World Cup final, losing only to Magnus Carlsen. His style is fearless and tactical: he goes for sharp positions and is dangerous in fast time controls.
Who is R Praggnanandhaa?
Born in 2005 in Chennai, Praggnanandhaa became a grandmaster in 2018 at 12, then one of the youngest ever. He reached the final of the 2023 FIDE World Cup, qualified for the 2024 Candidates tournament, and has beaten Magnus Carlsen in online and over-the-board games. His sister Vaishali is also a grandmaster.
Pragg's playing style
Pragg likes dynamic positions where both sides have chances. He calculates quickly, plays confidently in tactical complications, and is a strong rapid and blitz player, which makes long, sharp games against him uncomfortable for anyone.
What to copy: do not avoid sharp positions out of fear; play them often in practice games so they become familiar.
Pragg's style shape
How strongly each skill shapes Pragg's play, 0 to 100. It shows style, not strength: Chess DNA compares the shape of your own 8 skills with this one.
Pragg's openings
He plays both 1.e4 and 1.d4, and as Black he has used the Sicilian and other dynamic defences alongside the Italian Game as White.
Pragg's best games to study
His 2023 World Cup run, including the final against Carlsen, shows his style against the very best.
Do you play like Pragg?
Chess DNA reads your recent Chess.com or Lichess games, scores the same 8 skills shown above, and compares the shape of your play with all 12 champions. It is a style match, not a strength test: a 900 and a 2200 can both play like Pragg if they lean on the same skills.
The other champions: Magnus Carlsen · Garry Kasparov · Mikhail Tal · Tigran Petrosian · José Raúl Capablanca · Bobby Fischer · Anatoly Karpov · Hikaru Nakamura · Viswanathan Anand · Paul Morphy · Gukesh Dommaraju.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Praggnanandhaa become a grandmaster?
In 2018, at 12 years old.
Did Praggnanandhaa beat Magnus Carlsen?
Yes, he has beaten Carlsen several times in online events and over the board, and he faced him in the 2023 World Cup final.
How do I find out if I play like Pragg?
Enter your Chess.com or Lichess username in the box at the top of this page. Chess DNA analyses your recent games for free and shows which of 12 world champions your style is closest to, with your match percentage.
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