India is home to an explosion of young chess talent. Since 2007, 81 grandmasters have emerged. Enthusiasm for this ancient form is on the rise despite India being more well known for cricket than anything else. A number of talented players having achieved success on the national and international level. In this article, we will take a look at the top chess champions in India, their achievements, and their journey to the top.
Also Read : Indian Chess Players: A Force to be Reckoned With
Table of Contents
Top Chess Champions in India
The following table presents a list of the top chess players in India, ranked by their FIDE rating as of April 2023.
| Rank | Player Name | FIDE Rating | World Rank (Active) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viswanathan Anand | 2754 | 9 |
| 2 | Gukesh D | 2732 | 18 |
| 3 | Vidit Gujrathi | 2731 | 20 |
| 4 | Pentala Harikrishna | 2704 | 34 |
| 5 | Erigaisi Arjun | 2701 | 37 |
| 6 | Praggnanandhaa R | 2688 | 47 |
| 7 | Nihal Sarin | 2673 | 64 |
| 8 | Narayanan.S.L | 2660 | 83 |
| 9 | Aravindh Chithambaram | 2633 | 111 |
| 10 | Abhijeet Gupta | 2630 | 116 |
Also Read : Who was the First World Chess Champion?
Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand is one of the most well-known and accomplished chess players in India. He was born in Chennai in 1969 and learned to play chess at the age of six. He became the youngest Indian to win the National Sub-Junior Chess Championship at the age of 14 and has since gone on to achieve numerous accolades in the game.
He has received many honors over the years, such as Arjuna Award, Padma Shri Award, National Citizen’s Award and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. Anand has won the World Chess Championship five times, in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012, and has been ranked as the world’s number one player on multiple occasions. He has also won the prestigious Linares tournament three times, and the Corus Chess tournament five times. In 2013, he won the World Chess Championship Candidates Tournament and earned a rematch against Magnus Carlsen for the title.
Anand’s playing style is known for its versatility and creativity. He is particularly adept at rapid and blitz chess, and has won the World Rapid Chess Championship and the World Blitz Chess Championship. Vishy is an unassuming individual with an easygoing yet determined spirit, who believes in dedication and perseverance as means to reaching one’s goals. Vishy serves as an inspiration to those wanting to pursue chess as a career.
Gukesh D
Gukesh D was born in 2006 and learned to play chess at the age of seven. Gukesh became a Grandmaster at the age of 12 years and 7 months, becoming the second-youngest Indian to achieve this feat after R. Praggnanandhaa.
Gukesh has had numerous successes in his young career, including winning the National Under-7 Championship, the National Under-11 Championship, and the National Under-13 Championship. He has also represented India in multiple Chess Olympiads and has won the Asian Youth Chess Championship twice, in the Under-12 and Under-14 categories.
Gukesh is known for his aggressive and attacking playing style, often taking risks and going for the win. He has a strong understanding of tactical and positional elements in chess and has shown the ability to handle pressure in critical situations.
Vidit Gujrathi
Vidit Gujrathi is a rising star in Indian chess. Born in Nashik in 1994, he learned to play chess at the age of six and quickly showed promise as a player. He became a Grandmaster at the age of 18 and has since gone on to achieve numerous accolades in the game.
Gujrathi has represented India in multiple Chess Olympiads and has won the Asian Continental Chess Championship in 2019. He is also known for his success in rapid and blitz chess, having won the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid in 2019.
Pentala Harikrishna
Pentala Harikrishna is one of the top chess players in India, known for his tactical and aggressive playing style. He was born in Guntur in 1986 and learned to play chess at the age of six. He became a Grandmaster at the age of 15 and has since gone on to achieve numerous accolades in the game.
Harikrishna has represented India in multiple Chess Olympiads and has won the Asian Individual Chess Championship in 2011. He has also won the Biel Chess Festival twice, in 2013 and 2017.
Arjun Erigaisi
Arjun Erigaisi, from Telangana in India, is a 19-year-old chess prodigy who has achieved much. He won numerous tournaments like Tata Steel Chess India blitz event. Additionally, Arjun managed to defeat Magnus Carlsen online – only Indian to ever do so! Arjun practices nine hours every day under Israeli trainer Mikhalevski Victor; initially enjoying playing as a hobby but soon becoming serious after winning tournaments.
Vidit Gujrathi made history when he defeated five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen in Round 7 of Aimchess Rapid, after Carlsen had lost an advantage to Gujrathi.
He won the 2022 Tata Steel Challengers with ease to become national champion and made it all the way to Generation Cup’s finals, where he defeated Magnus Carlsen online game and registered one victory against him as well as becoming one of the first Grandmasters from Telangana to reach top 100 rating status.
Praggnanandhaa R
Praggnanandhaa R was born in 2005 and learned to play chess at the age of three. At age 7 he won the World Youth Chess Championships Under-8 title; at 10 became an International Master; later achieving Grandmaster status at 12 (second youngest to ever achieve this status).
He made waves at the Airthings Masters rapid online tournament in February 2022 when he managed to overthrow Norwegian five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen in an online chess tournament and kept his victory under wraps – choosing not to use social media instead and preferring offline thinking.
However, he remained modest about his achievements: “My goal is just to continue playing chess and try to enter the top 10,” he stated. He has said that staying off social media helps him focus and hopes to win a world championship match one day; in the meantime he plans on continuing his playing and inspiring young people that dreams can come true.
Nihal Sarin
Nihal Sarin is a young and promising chess player from Kerala, known for his aggressive and attacking playing style. He was born in 2004 and learned to play chess at the age of six. Soon thereafter, he won his first Kerala state chess championship at Under-7 level – later repeating it multiple times thereafter.
Nihal began working with a coach in 2014 but would often hold top players to draws prior to this. His initial coach was Ukrainian Dimitri Komarov until 2016, then Srinath Narayanan took over. A huge admirer of Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen, Nihal became only the fourth youngest person ever to surpass 2600 Elo rating mark by age 14!
Sarin has represented India in multiple Chess Olympiads and has won the National Chess Championship twice, in 2019 and 2021. He is also known for his success in rapid and blitz chess, having won the World Under-18 Rapid Chess Championship in 2018 and the Asian Junior Blitz Chess Championship in 2019.
Aravindh Chithambaram
Aravindh Chithambaram is known for his tactical and aggressive playing style. He was born in 1999 and learned to play chess at the age of five. Aravindh became a Grandmaster at the age of 18 and has since gone on to achieve numerous accolades in the game.
Aravindh has represented India in multiple Chess Olympiads and has won the National Chess Championship twice, in 2017 and 2019. He is also known for his success in rapid and blitz chess, having won the National Rapid Chess Championship in 2016 and 2018.
Aravindh is known for his ability to find creative and unexpected moves on the board, often catching opponents off guard. He has a strong understanding of tactical elements in chess and has shown the ability to handle pressure in critical situations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, India has a rich and diverse pool of talented chess players, with each player having their own unique playing style and strengths. These top chess champions have not only achieved success in India but have also made their mark on the international stage, representing India with pride and distinction. As Indian chess continues to grow and evolve, we can expect to see more talented players emerge, contributing to the game’s rich and vibrant legacy in the country.