A Movie Evening with Friends
One month before he defends his world title, Gukesh took a break for a movie night with friends. Is Praggnanandhaa quietly helping him behind the scenes?
World Chess Champion D Gukesh went to the cinema with friends ahead of the biggest test of his career. Gukesh watched the new film "Jailer 2", starring Tamil superstar "Thalaivar" Rajinikanth, with his childhood friends Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali. Gukesh shared pictures from the theatre on his Instagram with the caption "Thalaivar Gang".
In the pictures, all three players are smiling like any ordinary young fan from Chennai. It is a reminder that even under the weight of the world title, a Rajinikanth film is just as special to 20-year-old Gukesh as it is to any Tamil fan! The post received thousands of likes on social media. Many sportspeople seem to be fans of "Jailer 2" these days. Cricketer Sanju Samson even booked an entire cinema hall in Bengaluru to watch the film.
This movie evening comes at a time when Gukesh's most important match is just a month away. In Geneva, Switzerland, he will take on Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov to defend his world title.
It has not been an easy year for Gukesh. He finished last at Norway Chess, and his rating in the October rating list is 2710. With that in mind, these light-hearted moments spent with friends could prove to be a breath of fresh air amid the stress of preparation.
Praggnanandhaa's Golden Year and the Win Over Sindarov
On the other hand, 2026 has turned out to be the best year of Praggnanandhaa's career. He won Norway Chess with four consecutive classical wins, including victories over Magnus Carlsen and Gukesh. He then went on to become the Grand Chess Tour 2026 champion.
Most importantly, in August, in the second round of the Sinquefield Cup, Praggnanandhaa beat Sindarov. It was a 95-move game that lasted nearly six hours. Despite the position being equal, Pragg maintained the pressure throughout. Eventually Sindarov slipped on move 82, and Praggnanandhaa sealed the win. Earlier, at the 2025 Uzchess Cup, Praggnanandhaa had also beaten Sindarov in a classical game.
It is natural to ask whether Praggnanandhaa is playing some role in Gukesh's preparation, even if only behind the scenes. Both are from Chennai, have known each other since childhood, and recently played together for India at the Samarkand Olympiad.
Few players have studied Sindarov's classical play as closely as Praggnanandhaa has in recent months. Hardly anyone has a fresher understanding of how Sindarov handles pressure in long games, or where he falters when fatigue sets in. It is therefore possible that the two have played some practice games, or may yet do so. It could also be that this insight reaches Gukesh simply through conversation. There is, however, no official confirmation, as World Championship preparation is always kept strictly confidential.
If this happens, the benefit will not go to Gukesh alone. For any young player, being part of World Championship preparation is a great school in itself. The depth of opening work, the match strategy and the experience of handling pressure that one gets there are of great help in reaching that stage oneself in future. Praggnanandhaa is also a major contender for the title in the next cycle.
The history of chess is full of such examples:
Botvinnik: In the Soviet era, Mikhail Botvinnik would prepare for big matches by playing secret practice games with his associates.
Kramnik: In 1995, Vladimir Kramnik helped Garry Kasparov prepare for his match against Viswanathan Anand. Five years later, Kramnik beat that same Kasparov to become World Champion himself.
Carlsen: In 2010, Magnus Carlsen assisted Anand's preparation ahead of his match against Topalov. Three years later, in 2013 in Chennai, Carlsen beat Anand himself to become World Champion.
So today's collaborator becoming tomorrow's challenger is nothing new in chess.
For now, though, watching a film with friends, joking around and lifting each other's spirits is the biggest picture. All of India's eyes are now on 24 November, when Gukesh begins the defence of his title in Geneva.
The original article was published in Hindi. Read it here.
