Golden Year for Indian Chess: A Historic Rise

2023 marked a remarkable year for Indian chess as young talents like Gukesh D and Humpy Koneru achieved historic victories in global competitions. Indian teams secured gold at the Chess Olympiad, while individual players broke records and earned prestigious titles, highlighting a promising future for the sport in India.

In a remarkable year for Indian chess, the nation that has produced many skilled grandmasters and is home to the legendary Vishwanathan Anand witnessed historic accomplishments in international competitions. From the Chess Olympiad to the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Championships, India's future in the sport appears promising, thanks to rising stars like R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujarathi, D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal.

Earlier this month, Gukesh made headlines by defeating China's Ding Liren in the decisive 14th game of the FIDE World Championship match held in Singapore. As per Olympics.com, Gukesh's victory, which secured a 7.5-6.5 win over Ding Liren, not only made him the youngest world champion ever but also marked India's second world champion after Anand. Earlier in April, Gukesh won the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024, becoming the youngest challenger for the world title.

The Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, in September saw the Indian contingent make history as both the men's and women's teams secured gold medals for the first time ever. The Indian men's team of Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, and Arjun Erigaisi defeated Slovenia to clinch the gold with a record 21 points, while the women's team led by Harika Dronavalli and Divya Deshmukh defeated Azerbaijan to secure their title. Additionally, Humpy Koneru won the FIDE Women's World Rapid Championship after beating Indonesia's Irene Sukandar in the final round in New York.

This year, Humpy achieved her second world rapid title and her fourth podium finish. As reported by ESPN, she joined China's Ju Wenjun as the second player to win multiple women's world rapid titles. Moreover, in live chess ratings, 21-year-old grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi surpassed the 2800 Elo rating mark, becoming the youngest Indian and the only the second player from the country to achieve this feat, after the legendary Viswanathan Anand.

(With inputs from agencies.)