How India Became a Chess Superpower
From Viswanathan Anand becoming India's first GM in 1988 to Gukesh winning the World Championship in 2024 and India winning Olympiad gold, the rise of Indian chess.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-14
Professor Archer says: When Viswanathan Anand became World Champion, he did not just win a title — he lit a fire. An entire generation of Indian children saw someone who looked like them at the top of the chess world, and they thought: I can do that too. That spark has now become a blaze.
The Anand Effect
India's transformation into a chess superpower begins with one name: Viswanathan Anand. When Anand became India's first grandmaster in 1988 and won the World Championship in 2000 (and again in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012), he changed the perception of chess across the entire subcontinent.
Suddenly, chess was not just a foreign game. It was something an Indian could dominate on the world stage. Parents enrolled their children in chess classes. Schools started chess programs. The All India Chess Federation grew from a small organization to one of the most active federations in the world. Tamil Nadu, Anand's home state, became the epicenter of Indian chess, with Chennai producing a disproportionate share of the country's grandmasters.
Anand's approachable personality and clean sportsmanship made him the perfect ambassador. He showed that chess was about hard work, preparation, and grace under pressure - values that resonated deeply in Indian culture. When he hosted the 2013 World Championship in Chennai, a seven-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju watched from the stands. Eleven years later, Gukesh would become the youngest World Champion in history.
The Infrastructure Boom
Inspiration alone does not produce grandmasters. India invested in chess infrastructure at every level. Cities built chess academies. Coaching became a respected profession. Tournaments proliferated, giving young players hundreds of opportunities to compete each year.
The rise of online chess was a particular advantage for India. With reliable internet access spreading rapidly, talented children in smaller cities gained access to the same training tools and opponents available to players in Moscow or New York. Geography was no longer a barrier.
Corporate sponsorship also played a role. Indian companies recognized chess as a vehicle for brand building and community development, funding tournaments, academies, and individual players. This financial ecosystem allowed talented players to pursue chess professionally.
The New Generation
The results of this investment are staggering. India now has over 85 grandmasters, up from just one in 1988. The age at which Indian players earn the title keeps dropping. Gukesh became GM at twelve. Praggnanandhaa became the youngest International Master in history at ten. Teenage grandmasters who would have been headline news a generation ago are now almost routine in India.
The depth of talent is what truly sets India apart. At the 2024 Candidates Tournament, three of the eight participants were Indian: Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit Gujrathi. At the 2024 Budapest Olympiad, India won its first-ever team gold medal in the open section, with Gukesh scoring 9 out of 10 on Board 1 with a performance rating of 3056. Praggnanandhaa's sister Vaishali also earned gold in the women's event, making them the first brother-sister GM pair in chess history.
In December 2024, Gukesh defeated Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in Singapore to become the youngest World Champion ever at eighteen, shattering Kasparov's record. India now has its second World Champion, and Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and Vidit ensure the pipeline of world-class talent continues to flow.
Questions About Indian Chess
Did chess originate in India?
Chess is widely believed to have originated in India around the sixth century CE as a game called chaturanga. The game spread to Persia, then to the Arab world, and eventually to Europe, where it evolved into the modern form we play today. So India's chess story is, in a sense, as old as chess itself.
How many grandmasters does India have?
India has over eighty grandmasters and the number continues to grow each year. More importantly, the pipeline of talented young players earning international master and FIDE master titles suggests that the grandmaster count will continue to rise rapidly.
Can I play against Indian players online?
Absolutely. Indian players are among the most active on all major online chess platforms. Playing against a diverse range of opponents, including the many strong Indian players online, is one of the best ways to test your skills and learn different playing styles.
Professor Archer says: India's chess story is proof that culture and opportunity matter as much as individual talent. When a society decides to value chess, champions emerge. It is a lesson for every country that wants to develop its chess talent.
Quick Quiz
What was the primary catalyst for India's chess boom?
- A government mandate requiring all schools to teach chess - While some Indian states have introduced chess in schools, there was no national mandate. The growth was driven primarily by inspiration and grassroots investment.
- Viswanathan Anand's success inspiring a generation of players and institutional investment (Correct) - Correct. Anand's achievements created a cultural shift, and the subsequent investment in coaching, tournaments, and infrastructure turned that inspiration into a sustainable pipeline of world-class talent.
- India importing chess coaches from Russia - While some Russian coaches have worked in India, the growth was primarily driven by homegrown coaching talent and the development of Indian chess infrastructure.
- A wealthy donor funding every Indian chess player - The growth came from a broad ecosystem of support including corporate sponsors, federations, academies, and families, not a single benefactor.