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

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 not yet old enough to vote, and their ranks are growing fast. There’s a large base of active players, with over 11,000 Indians playing tournaments in the last year. There’s a widespread network of coaches, with coaching services available for beginners even in small towns. Many schools offer chess as an optional extracurricular activity. In a more sophisticated way, chess academies run by Grandmasters also train promising players.

 

There’s a vibrant, well-organised domestic tournament circuit. At the apex of the pyramid, there are sponsorships and financial support for the elite players. 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, as well as the services of a mental-conditioning coach who has worked with the Indian cricket team. The financial resources required were considerable. In April, the five Indians playing in World Title cycles received a commitment of around Rs 2 crore to support their campaign. The gold-medallist Indian teams at the Chess Olympiad also received generous financial support. Other top Indian players also have sponsorship deals and employment on “sports quota” in various public-sector undertakings. There are broader social and infrastructural factors that are supportive of the game. Success begets success and the inspirational examples of Viswanthan Anand, Gukesh, and others, have thrown a spotlight on the game. The fan base is large and growing. Chessbase India, which promotes the game, has 1.5 million members on its YouTube and Twitch TV channels.

 

The branding association between chess and intellectual accomplishment means that parents (and educationists) encourage their wards to play the game. Companies are also happy to pitch in to sponsor both tournaments and individual players. In terms of the infrastructure, high levels of smartphone penetration and cheap data plans make it possible for Indians to hone their skills on large online platforms. Chess.com and Lichess host close to 2 million games per day among them, and both platforms are typically inundated with young Indians.  It is also common to see large contingents of young Indian players at international open events where young players can win prize money and score title norms.  It is a remarkable story, given that Viswanathan Anand became India’s first Grandmaster only as recently as 1987, and India wasn’t considered a medal contender at team events until quite recently. The success of Gukesh, following close on the Olympiad wins, is likely to further turbocharge local enthusiasm. The story of chess and how its popularity has grown, both organically and through policy support, could provide a valuable lesson for other sports.