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India has been making waves in the chess world, with the highlight being D Gukesh’s sensational World Chess Championship victory in Singapore last year, where he triumphed over Ding Liren. Adding to India’s growing dominance, Koneru Humpy clinched the Women’s World Rapid Championship title.
The latest live chess rankings feature three Indian grandmasters in the top 10. Gukesh currently holds the third spot, trailing only Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, who are in first and second place, respectively. Arjun Erigaisi follows closely at World No. 5, while R Praggnanandhaa is ranked eighth.
Meanwhile, Aravindh Chithambaram saw a significant rise after his strong performance at the Prague Masters, jumping eight places to claim the 14th spot. Chess legend Viswanathan Anand, however, has dropped to 15th in the rankings.
Viswanathan Anand’s Take on India’s Young Chess Prodigies
Speaking to TV9 Telugu, Viswanathan Anand shared his perspective on the remarkable rise of India’s young grandmasters, including Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun.
“In some ways, we already are the superpower in chess. There are many metrics by which we are. There are many measures by which some other country is. We are not dominant like the Soviet Union used to be, but if you take, for instance, the age of our top players—with me as an exception—well, I think the oldest one is 21,” Anand stated.
The five-time world champion emphasized the youthful energy of India’s top players, noting that their careers have only just begun.
“They’re all incredibly young, which means they have a long time ahead. Second, they are all in the top 10 together or in the top 20, top 50, and the number keeps increasing. They’re all there together, and can you imagine how fantastic that is for us? Because they will not only try to have the best results, but the moment one of them has a good result, all the others will be motivated to catch up. So they have this beautiful combination of friendship and rivalry,” he explained.
India’s Chess Powerhouse Continues to Grow
Beyond the top 10, other Indian players are also making their mark on the world stage. Nihal Sarin recently climbed two spots to World No. 41. Vidit Gujrathi is currently ranked 24th, while Harikrishna Pentala holds the 30th position.
India’s rising chess stars, driven by both camaraderie and competition, are shaping the future of the game, with Anand’s insights underscoring the nation’s growing influence in the sport.
