Two-time world championship contender Ian Nepomniachtchi has named India’s R Praggnanandhaa as one of the two favourites to win the upcoming Candidates tournament in Cyprus. The winner of the Candidates will earn a shot to challenge world champion Gukesh later this year. “I would say there are two main favorites (at this year’s Candidates). They are Praggnanandhaa and Fabiano Caruana. It seems to me that Praggnanandhaa, who plays very well in general, he’s a very good player, he is quite versatile, he has a large choice of openings. That is, he is not an opening specialist, but he has lots of options what to play. I think he will have a good team,” Nepomniachtchi said in an interview on the Chess with Mustreader YouTube channel. India’s R Praggnanandhaa thinks about his next move during a game in Tata Steel Chess India in Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul) “The same can be said about Fabiano (Caruana), who is just a very strong chess player. Caruana says there is definitely one more cycle ( in him) …