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Chess in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Chess has a deep-rooted history in India, widely believed to have originated from the game of chaturanga during the Gupta Empire in circa 6th century CE. Over centuries, it evolved and spread across the world, influencing modern chess as we know it today.[1]
In the contemporary era, India has emerged as a major chess power, excelling in international tournaments and the country currently has the second best federation in the world with a 2721 top-ten rating.[2] The country holds multiple Chess Olympiad victories in both the men's and women's sections[3] and has crowned two World Chess Champions: Viswanathan Anand, a five-time champion who revolutionized Indian chess, and Gukesh D, the current reigning champion.[4]
The rise of chess in modern India is often credited to Anand, whose dominance from the late 1990s to the early 2010s inspired a generation of players. His success, coupled with the growth of digital platforms and widespread grassroots training programs, has fueled a chess boom, making India one of the leading nations in the sport. The country now has a robust chess ecosystem, supported by the All India Chess Federation (AICF) and a network of state associations, academies, and online communities.[4][5]
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Early history
Chess originated in India with its earliest known form, chaturanga, dating back roughly 1,500 years to the 6th century, during the Gupta Empire. Chaturanga is considered the earliest precursor to modern chess because it had key features that would appear in later variations: different pieces possessing different powers and victory depending on the fate of one piece, the king.[1][6]
As trade and cultural exchanges flourished along the Silk Road, Chaturanga spread to Persia, where it evolved into Shatranj. The game underwent further refinements in the Islamic world and medieval Europe, ultimately transforming into the modern chess we recognize today.[1][6]
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Modern history
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Modern chess in India began officially with the formation of All India Chess Federation in 1951. This was soon followed by the first Indian Chess Championship, held in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. In 1956, India made its debut at the 12th Chess Olympiad in Moscow.[4] Then, Manuel Aaron achieved the feat as the first Indian to become an International Master, in 1961.
In 1977, Rohini Khadilkar became the first female player to compete in the Indian Chess Championship. Some players objected to her being in the tournament because she was female. Her father wrote to the World Chess Federation president, Max Euwe, and Euwe ruled that female players could not be barred from open chess events.[7]
In 1988, 19-year old Viswanathan Anand of Chennai became India's first Grandmaster. He then embarked on a journey to become the first Indian to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, win the Candidates in 1995, 1998 and then finally become the World Champion in 2000 by beating Spain's Alexei Shirov. He would go on to defend the title for more than a decade, until he lost the Championship to Magnus Carlsen in 2013. In 1997, the All India Chess Federation for the Blind was formed with the intention of promoting chess amongst the country's visually impaired people.[4]
Subbaraman Vijayalaksmi became the country's first Woman International Master in 1996. She then became India's first Woman Grandmaster in 2001. Soon, in 2002 Koneru Humpy became the youngest female player ever, and the first Indian female player, to achieve the title of Grandmaster, aged 15 years, 1 month, 27 days, a record only since surpassed by Hou Yifan.[8][9] India's first Chess Olympiad medal was a bronze in 2014. In 2022, India won bronze medals in the Open and Women category in the first Chess Olympiad hosted by India at Chennai. The nation's first Olympiad gold was then clenched in both categories at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest.[4][10]
In 2024, Gukesh D made history by becoming the youngest player to win the Candidates Tournament, subsequently clinching the World Chess Championship title with a narrow one-point victory over Ding Liren.[11]
As of December 2024, India boasts 85 chess grandmasters, with 13 ranked among the world's top 100 players. The country has over 30,000 rated players actively participating in officially sanctioned tournaments nationwide. This robust participation has solidified India's status as a chess superpower, with its top 10 players achieving an average Elo rating of 2721, ranking second globally.[12][13][14]
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Current rankings
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Open
As per FIDE's October 2024 rankings.[15]
Women
As per FIDE's October 2024 rankings.[16]
National and international records
- First National Champion: Ramchandra Sapre (1955)
- First Indian International Master: Manuel Aaron (1961)[4]
- First Indian Grandmaster: Viswanathan Anand (1988)[4]
- First Indian Woman Grandmaster: Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi (2001)[4]
- First Indian participation in a Chess Olympiad: 1956, 12th Chess Olympiad at Moscow[4]
- First Blind Chess Olympiad hosted by India: 2012, 14th Blind Chess Olympiad in Chennai
- First Indian Asian Senior Chess Champion: Wazeer Ahmad Khan, 6th Asian Seniors at Lar in 2015
- First Chess Olympiad hosted in India: 2022, 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai[4]
- Maximum number of Indian National Championship wins: 9 by Manuel Aaron
- Maximum number of Indian National Championship (Women) wins: 6 by Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi
- Maximum number of Indian National Championship (Blind) wins: 6 by Kishan Gangolli
- Youngest Indian Grandmaster: Gukesh D at the age of 12 (2018)[4]
- Youngest winner of the Candidates Tournament: Gukesh D at the age of 17 (2024)[4]
- Youngest World Champion: Gukesh D at the age of 18
- Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and his sister Vaishali are the first brother-sister duo to earn GM titles and to qualify for the Candidates Tournament
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Medal table
Summary - Team
Summary - Individual
- Updated till September 2024
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Olympiad
Open
Open Individual
Women
Women Individual
Online
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World Championship
Open
Women
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World Rapid and Blitz Championships
Open
- Rapid
- Blitz
Women
- Rapid
- Blitz
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World Team Championship
Open
Women
Asian Team Championship
Open
Women
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World Cup
Asian Games
Men's team standard
Women's team standard
Mixed team standard
Women's individual rapid
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
Men's individual standard
Women's individual standard
Mixed team standard
Men's individual rapid
Men's team rapid U-23
Women's individual rapid
Women's team rapid
Mixed team rapid
Men's individual blitz
Men's team blitz
Men's team blitz U-23
Women's individual blitz
Mixed team blitz
National award recipients
See also
References
External links
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