Magnus Carlsen, the five-time world chess champion, wasn’t exaggerating when he waxed lyrical about the current era marking the beginning of a chess revolution in India. Carlsen was quick to point out how his great rival and fellow five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand is to be credited with the state of chess in India today.
It was Anand who created history December 1988 when he became India’s first ever Grandmaster (GM), the highest title bestowed upon a chess player by the International Chess Federation. And today, India has as many as 83 GMs with Aditya Samant latest entrant in the elite list.
In the past two year alone (staring with 2021), 32 GMs have emerged from India.
Perhaps, an evidence of India becoming the next chess powerhouse is being seen in the ongoing 2023 FIDE World Cup in Baku. As many as four Indians including Arjun Erigasi, R Praggnanandhaa, D Gukesh and Vidit Gujrathi have advanced to the quarterfinals of the event.
Here we take a look at the major victories achieved by Indian chess stars since 2021
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa Humbles Magnus Carlsen
Praggnanandhaa became the third Indian after Viswanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna to win a game against world champion Carsen during the online rapid chess tournament Airthings Masters in February 2022.
He would defeat Carlsen three more times at the FTX Crypto Cup 2022.
Praggnanandhaa Stuns Reigning World Champion
Praggnanandhaa continued his meteoric rise when he defeated the reigning world champion Ding Liren at the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2023 in January. He got the better of David Navara, Hikaru Nakamuru and Ferenc Berkes en route to the Chess World Cup 2023 quarterfinals.
Gukesh Youngest to beat Carlsen
In October last year, Dommaraju Gukesh became the youngest player to beat Norwegian Carlsen since he became the world champion. He achieved the feat at the Aimchess Rapid tournament. At the 44th Chess Olympiad, he won the gold medal for his display on the first board. In June 2021, he won the Gelfand Challenge.
Erigaisi Wins 3 Tata Steel Events
In November 2021, Arjun Erigaisi won the Rapid section at the Tata Steel India Chess tournament ahead of the likes of countryman Vidit Gujrathi, Levon Aronian, Sam Shankland and others. Then in January 2022, he won the Tata Steel Challengers held in Wijk aan Zee before claiming Tata Steel India Blitz in December.
A Historic Silver
In October 2021, India won its first ever medal in the FIDE Women’s World Team Championship. Dronavalli Harika, Tania Sachdev, Bhakti Kulkarni, R Vaishali, and Mary Ann Gomes combined to create history.
Bronze at FIDE Online Chess Olympiad
In an evenly contested semifinal, India lost to USA at the Olympiad in September 2021 to finish with a bronze.
Gold for Sarin
Nihal Sarin remained unbeaten at the 44th Chess Olympiad and won the gold medal on the second board with individual score of 7.5 out of 10.
Nihal, Gujrathi Beat Carlsen
Joining the list of Indians to have got the better of Carlsen, Sarin and Vidit Gujrathi defeated the multiple world champion in 2021 and 2023 respectively. While Nihal won in a blitz format during the Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour, Vidit recorded his triumph in the Pro Chess League earlier this year.
Nihal also won the Serbia Lake Open and Serbia Open Masters in 2021 while Gujrathi was the captain of the Indian team that won the gold medal in FIDE Online Olympiad in 2020.
A Historic Silver for Humpy
Koneru Humpy, the youngest woman to achieve GM title, created history in December 2022 when she became the first Indian to win a medal at the World blitz chess championship in Kazakhstan. She defeated China’s Zhongyi Tan to clinch the silver medal.
Historic Double Bronze at 44th Chess Olympiad
The Indian men’s B team comprising D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Raunak Sadhwaniand and Adhiban won the bronze medal after beating Germany,
In the women’s section, India’s A team comprising Vaishali and Koneru Humphy, Tania Sachdev and Bhakti Kulkari won bronze.
Savitha Clinches World Rapid Bronze
In December 2022, the then 15-year-old Savita Shri finished third with eight points from 11 round to win bronze at the FIDE World Rapid Championship in 2022. She thus became the 3rd Indian after Anand and Humpy to clinch a medal at the event.
Divya Crowned Asian Champion
Divya Deshmukh remained unbeaten at the 2023 Asian Continental Women’s Chess Championship in the classical format to win the title.
Notable Achievement: A Historic Gold
India won their first ever medal at an Olympiad and a gold at that in September 2020. India won gold alongside Russia at the FIDE Online Olympiad. Viswanath Anand, Vidit Gujrathi, Harikrishna, Aravindh Chithambaram, Koneru Humpy, D. Harika, Bhakti Kulkarni, R. Vaishali, Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin, Vantika Agrawal and Divya Deshmukh were part of the winning Indian team.
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