INDIA'S GAMBIT

What is behind the explosion of chess talent in the country, and what does it augur for the game?

The stunning victory of D Gukesh at the Candidates Chess puts the teenager within touching distance of the world title. It is a fantastic achievement regardless of what happens in the November Title match against world champion Ding Liren.

Gukesh is not the only Indian aspirant for world laurels. He is a leading member of a golden generation of talented youngsters, several of whom have world championship aspirations.

There is Praggnanandhaa, and his sister Vaishali, who both played the Candidates. There is Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Nihal Sarin.

There is Divya Deshmukh, Raunak Sadhwani, and Luke Leon Mendonca. There are, in fact, seven Indians in the World Top 50 list, and five in the Top 50 Women's list. There are four Indians in the Top 10 Juniors list and a whopping 13 in the Top 50 Juniors list.

Though extraordinary talents like Gukesh, Pragg, and Arjun can appear out of nowhere, it requires a good ecosystem to spot the talent, showcase it, and nurture it. Indian chess has been fortunate in this, because the ecosystem has been supportive.

There has been an explosion of chess interest, and that has expanded the base of the pyramid. More than 35,000 Indians have Fide ratings, which means they play in official tournaments regularly. The strong domestic tournament circuit and enthusiastic desi participation in Open events abroad ensures Indians get a chance to face stiff competition.

Several hundred thousand fans watch events such as the Candidates live online, so there is a big and growing fan base. Indeed, hundreds of desis landed up at the Toronto venue to cheer the Indians.

It stands to reason that if the number of youngsters playing the game grows, the chances of finding extraordinary talent increase. So far, enthusiasm for chess has translated into 85 Indians winning the Grandmasters title- and many of these GMs are very young.