India has emerged as a world chess superpower in recent years, evolving from a country with a rich tradition of chess to a name to reckon with on the international chess scene. From humble beginnings in the game of chaturanga to creating world champions and a rising army of grandmasters, India’s chess journey has been nothing short of phenomenal. The last couple of years have witnessed a record-breaking explosion of success, fuelled by a mix of young prodigies, institutional backing and a cultural tide embracing chess as a serious sport. As we celebrate the International Chess Day on Sunday, let’s delve into the reasons for this meteoric rise, identifying India’s major achievements and discussing the bright future of Indian chess, supported by financial grants from the All India Chess Federation (AICF).
What shaped India’s success
The meteoric rise of chess in India over the last few years can be credited to a number of interrelated factors, but the example of Viswanathan Anand, India's first grandmaster and five-time world champion, has been a driving force. Anand’s achievements, especially his world championship victories between 2000 and 2012, motivated a generation of players and established Indian chess in the world spotlight. His guidance and ongoing commitment to developing young talent have been crucial. As Anand himself explained in a 2024 interview after Gukesh Dommaraju’s world championship victory, “It’s a proud moment for chess, a proud moment for India … and for me, a very personal moment of pride.”
The coming of age of new-generation grandmasters like Gukesh, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin has only added more punch. These players, often described as the “children of Vishy Anand” by chess great Garry Kasparov, have not just achieved individual record-breaking feats, but have also made India a global force to reckon with. Their capacity to win against World Number 1 Magnus Carlsen shows the sheer depth of Indian talent. For instance, Praggnanandhaa’s several wins over Carlsen in 2022 and his runner-up position in the 2023 FIDE World Cup was a pointer to India’s next-generation capabilities.
Institutional support has also been a key differentiator. The All India Chess Federation (AICF), set up in 1951, has been instrumental in building a lively chess ecosystem. In the last couple of years, the AICF has been hosting more than 300 tournaments every year, where Indian players have obtained International Master (IM) and Grandmaster (GM) status without leaving the country. The efforts of the federation, under the stewardship of its president Nitin Narang ever since he took over its reins in March 2024, have changed the face of chess in India and resulted in a substantial increase in government assistance. It goes to Narang’s credit that quarterly stipends ranging from ₹60,000 to ₹1,50,000, totalling ₹42. 3 lakh for the first quarter of 2025, have been disbursed for the first time in the history of Indian chess to 42 top players across the U-7 to U-19 categories, based on their performance in last year’s nationals.
Corporate sponsorship and grassroot efforts have also played a major role. Organisations like the ONGC, Bharat Petroleum and HelpChess Foundation have sponsored money for tournaments and individual players. In 2024-25, the HelpChess Foundation collected ₹1.63 crore to sponsor 32 promising players, providing them laptops and meeting their training cost. This monetary support has helped players like Jubin Jimmy and Goutham Krishna in clinching the International Master (IM) title.
Digital revolution has further democratised chess in India. The game has become more accessible through online platforms like Chess.com and Lichess, bolstered by more media coverage and streaming of high-profile events like the Chess Olympiad and Tata Steel Chess India. The COVID-19 pandemic, though disruptive, reinforced this trend with players like Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa gaining experience from online tournaments.
Standout achievements
The past two to three years have been a golden period for Indian chess, marked by historic achievements. In 2022, India hosted its first-ever Chess Olympiad in Chennai, winning bronze medals in both the open and women’s categories. This was a stepping stone to even more success in 2024 when India swept gold medals in both sections at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest with a stupendous performance by Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and Harikrishna Pentala in the open section and Divya Deshmukh, Harika Dronavalli, and Vaishali Rameshbabu in the women’s section.
The crowning achievement came in December 2024 when 18-year-old Gukesh became the youngest-ever world chess champion, defeating China’s Ding Liren in Singapore. Gukesh’s victory, which followed his win in the 2024 Candidates Tournament, marked him as the second Indian world champion after Anand. His triumph was celebrated widely with former cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar noting, “In a game of 64 squares, you’ve opened a world of endless possibilities.”
India's grandmaster count has also increased significantly, reaching 85 by 2024, with the likes of P Shyaam Nikhil and G Akash becoming grandmasters recently. India now has four players placed in the world's top 10—Gukesh (world no. 4), Erigaisi (no. 5), Praggnanandhaa (no. 7) and Aravindh Chithambaram (no. 10)—a first in history. Women players have also excelled with Divya Deshmukh triumphing in the Sharjah Challengers 2024 and becoming a member of the women's Olympiad team and Koneru Humpy finishing joint-first in the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in Pune.
The future shines bright
The future of Indian chess is incredibly bright, and the AICF's financial grants are driving this transformation. The grants are enabling young players to receive world-class guidance and participate in international events. The AICF's emphasis on grassroots development is also making a big difference by making chess inclusive, and so are government schemes like the National Chess Development Programme, which is creating a talent pipeline.
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