On Thursday night in Singapore, D Gukesh grabbed the opportunity of his lifetime to become the youngest world chess champion. With 13 of the 14-match race done, the championship was on the verge of being decided by tie-breakers as the 32-year-old defending champion and his 18-year-old challenger were tied on points. That’s when Ding Liren committed a blunder and Gukesh seized the opening. The win is a crowning glory for a new generation. When Viswanathan Anand’s reign as world champion ended in 2013, there was a persistent question of who would be the next Vishy. A generation of wunderkinds answered that call many times over the last few years by breaking records and winning laurels. This is India’s golden generation in chess and their reign is only getting started.
What put India on the ramp was the 2022 Olympiad held at Mahabalipuram, where India’s men’s and women’s teams won bronze. Gukesh, then 16, and Nihal Sarin, another prodigious talent, also won individual gold. In 2023, R Praggnanandhaa made it to the final of the World Cup, while Vidit Gujrathi, Gukesh, Koneru Humpy and R Vaishali qualified for the Candidates Tournament. What augurs well for chess in the country is that these young talents have already garnered considerable experience. Gukesh not only prevailed at Candidates but led the men’s team to a sensational gold at the Olympiad earlier this year. The women’s team also won gold—their rapid rise, too, shows no sign of tapering off soon. Arjun Erigaisi, who broke the 2800 FIDE rating barrier, could well challenge Gukesh at the next World Championship. The All India Chess Federation wants to ensure that this domination continues.
Chennai has always been the cradle of chess in the country. So it’s poetic that one of its beloved is now the world champion, the second Indian on top after the trailblazing Vishy. It’s not just the city’s numerous academies, but also their capable coaches who have helped the sport grow. Timely patronage has come from the Tamil Nadu government—from hosting the Chess Olympiad in 2022 to staging the Chennai Grandmasters in short notice to help Gukesh qualify for the Candidates, they have done their bit too. With Chennai taking the lead, it’s hopefully just a matter of time when the board game blossoms around the country.