Author : Aashiya Jain | EQMint | Sports

 

When Magnus Carlsen speaks about the future of chess, he doesn’t sound like a retired king guarding his legacy. He sounds like a player who still feels the pulse of the game its tension, its cruelty, and its quiet beauty. In a recent interview, Carlsen opened up about who he believes are the top contenders for the 2026 World Chess Championship, and his answers revealed as much about the human side of chess as the competitive one.

“The level right now is insanely high,” Carlsen said, reflecting on the current generation. “It’s not just about who calculates best anymore. It’s about who can sit there for six hours, day after day, and still trust themselves.”

 

Top Favourite: Hikaru Nakamura said Magnus

At the very top of Magnus’s list is Hikaru Nakamura a choice that feels both bold and logical.“Hikaru is playing some of the best chess of his life right now,” Carlsen said. “What’s impressed me most is how complete he’s become as a player.”

 

Once known primarily for his speed and brilliance in rapid and blitz formats, Nakamura has evolved into a formidable classical player. Magnus pointed out that Hikaru’s recent performances show patience, strategic depth, and emotional control qualities essential for a World Championship match.“He used to rely a lot on instinct,” Carlsen explained. “Now he combines that instinct with structure and discipline. That’s dangerous.”

 

Second Favourite: Fabiano Caruana says Magnus

Carlsen’s second pick, Fabiano Caruana, represents the opposite end of the emotional spectrum but with equal strength.“Fabiano is the most reliable player you can imagine,” Carlsen said. “If you need someone who won’t collapse under pressure, it’s him.”

 

Caruana’s reputation as a preparation powerhouse remains intact, but Carlsen emphasised something deeper: resilience. “He doesn’t get carried away by wins, and he doesn’t get destroyed by losses,” Carlsen noted. “That balance is huge in a match format.”

 

Having already experienced the intensity of a World Championship match against Carlsen himself in 2018, Caruana knows exactly what awaits a challenger. “Experience matters,” Carlsen added. “Once you’ve been there, the fear is different.”

 

Third Favourite: R Praggnanandhaa said Magnus

Perhaps the most striking moment of the interview came when Carlsen named R Praggnanandhaa as his third favourite.

 

“Praggnanandhaa is special,” Carlsen said plainly. “He doesn’t play like a kid who’s happy just to be there.”At only 19, the Indian grandmaster has already shown an extraordinary ability to handle pressure against elite opposition including Carlsen himself. “What I like about him is that he doesn’t rush,” Carlsen explained. “He’s patient, he listens to the position.”

 

Carlsen also spoke about Praggnanandhaa’s emotional maturity. “You don’t see panic on his face,” he said. “That’s very rare at that age. He absorbs tension incredibly well.”By placing Praggnanandhaa among the top three, Carlsen effectively acknowledged a generational shift. Indian chess, he suggested, is no longer about promise it’s about presence.

 

What About the Others?

 

Magnus was careful not to dismiss the rest of the field. He spoke respectfully about Ding Liren, the reigning World Champion, noting that “when Ding is confident, he’s one of the hardest players in the world to beat.”

 

But Magnus also pointed out how fragile form can be at the highest level. “In a World Championship, confidence can disappear very quickly,” he said. “And getting it back is harder than people think.”He also mentioned that younger players are improving at an unprecedented pace. “The gap between the top 10 and top 30 is smaller than ever,” Carlsen observed. “One good year can change everything.”

 

Chess Is Still a Human Battle

What made Carlsen’s interview resonate was not his predictions, but his honesty about the emotional cost of elite chess.

 

“People think it’s all calculation,” he said. “But at some point, you’re just sitting there with your thoughts. Doubt is the real opponent.”For Carlsen, the 2026 World Championship won’t be decided by engines or novelties alone. “It will come down to who handles the bad days better,” he concluded. “Everyone will suffer. The champion is the one who survives it best.”

In naming Nakamura, Caruana, and Praggnanandhaa, Carlsen didn’t just rank players he told a story about where chess is heading. Faster, deeper, more global and still, at its core, profoundly human.

 

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Resource link : TOI