From humble beginnings, India has grown from strength to strength in the world of chess and in the current scenario, it is one of the top chess-playing nations in the world. After Viswanathan Anand’s meteoric rise, our country has seen a sharp spike in the number of Grandmasters and International Masters who compete and win laurels at the world’s biggest tournaments.
Anand has been at the pinnacle of Indian chess for almost three decades but in March last year, he was replaced as India’s number one-ranked player by Pentala Harikrishna, a regular at the elite level of the sport and a member of the 2700+ rating club in the world rankings for almost four years now.
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He burst onto the scene when he became Grandmaster in 2001 at the age of 15, which made him the youngest Indian to do so at the time. He swept almost all of the national titles at various age levels and became World Junior Champion in 2004 as well.
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He has represented India at every Chess Olympiad since 2000 and has won medals for the country at continental and international championships. He also has a wide gamut of prestigious tournament wins to his name and has strongly established himself as India’s number two player at the world stage.
In this exclusive interview, he talks about Anand and his contributions along with the future of Indian and world chess. Here are a few excerpts!
How did it feel overtaking Viswanathan Anand and becoming the India number one in the live ranking last year?
It was during the Candidates that I overtook Anand in the live ratings for one day. I was happy that I went ahead of him, even if it was just for a single day.
Although, I wished that he takes his spot back by winning more during that tournament as that would mean more chances for him to qualify for the World Championship match. Ratings keep changing every month, but it is not often that you come so close to qualifying for the such an important event.
How important have Anand's contributions been to the development of the sport across the world and in India? Were his achievements a source of motivation for you when you were coming through the ranks?
Anand's contribution to Indian chess is unparalleled. To become a Grandmaster, World Junior Champion, then crossing the 2600 mark (ELO rating), entering the top 10 in the world rankings and finally becoming the World Champion. Like this, he has shown that there is no limit.
Before him, Indian chess players did not think that they could aim so high. His achievements are an inspiration for all Indian chess players. After him, there was a huge gap and it was only filled in 2002 when Sasikiran (Krishnan) crossed the 2600 mark.
How would you rate the progress made by Indian chess players in recent years? Do you see our country becoming a dominant force in the near future?
The progress made in the last few years by the Indian players is truly tremendous. I think India will be a dominant force on the world stage in the near future.
What are your thoughts on R. Praggnanandhaa's rapid rise? Do you see him becoming an elite player in the future?
He is doing exceptionally well and I am delighted for him. He is already an International Master at such a young age. He will soon become an elite player and will achieve great heights.
Do you ever feel that chess players do not get their fair share of recognition from the general public in India and that their achievements are not given due importance?
I do not feel that way. Chess has been gaining popularity recently and everyone is following the results of chess players to an extent. In such a case, social media has also played a crucial role, of course.
How do you see the next few years at the top of the chess world playing out? Will we see someone replace Magnus Carlsen as World Champion any time soon?
I think Magnus Carlsen will dominate world chess for many years to come. It is unclear who will challenge him in near future, as there are very few who can. To win the title from him depends on how one does during the World Championship matches itself.
For example, Sergey Karjakin had some excellent chances to win the previous match last year and came quite close to dethroning Carlsen.
