Chessboard promises: Gukesh's win reflects India's growing prowess

Gukesh, for instance, has a five-year sponsorship deal, and his campaign for the world title was backed by a team of six top players who helped with analysis and preparation

The stunning achievement of D Gukesh in winning the world chess championship is the cherry on the cake as far as India’s chess players are concerned. It’s been a great year with Indian teams sweeping double-gold in the Olympiads and, along with Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa have stormed into the ranks of the chess elite. Indeed six of the world’s current top 25 players are Indians. There is a realistic possibility that the challenger Gukesh will face when he defends the title in 2026 would also be an Indian. There are 85 Indian Grandmasters, many of whom are