Magnus Carlsen’s admiration for India’s R Praggnanandhaa has been an open secret in chess. The duo famously faced off in the final of the FIDE World Cup in 2023, where Carlsen prevailed but not before he introduced the world to the phrase ‘Be Like Pragg’ which was a catch phrase concocted by coach RB Ramesh.
Many of Pragg’s headline-making battles have come against Carlsen. Pragg had become a household name in India in 2022 after defeating Carlsen for the first time at the Airthings Masters, an online event. At Carlsen’s home tournament, Norway Chess, Pragg had defeated the Norwegian World No 1 three times over two editions, 2024 and 2026 (twice in two games).