 "‘I used to beat Indians at will’: Former legends on India's growing supremacy in chess")
India’s rise in chess is being noticed by the world now. The recently concluded Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament clearly showed that young Indian players are taking over and giving tough competition to experienced global stars at the biggest of stages.
The tournament was organised by the Delhi Chess Association and saw more than 350 players, including Grandmasters, International Masters, and many rising Indian talents, take part. Several young Indians outperformed big international names during the event.
Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta won the tournament, his record fourth title at the prestigious event. He scored 8.5 points out of 10 to win the trophy and a seven lakh prize money. Belarusian GM Mihail Nikitenko claimed second place and Indian GM Diptayan Ghosh won the third prize.
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It was very hard for me: Sanikidze
One of the international players, 36-year-old Georgian GM Tornike Sanikidze, struggled to keep up. He was seeded 18th but finished 53rd. Speaking after the tournament, he said, “This tournament is very beautiful and very hard. There are so many grandmasters, and so many kids. That makes it a very strong tournament. It was very hard for me.”
“I was here in 2013. Even then, I could see the new generation coming. Back then, I was rated 2518, and I left at 2513; that’s how hard it was to play Indians. And now? Look at the top 10. There are four Indians. The world champion is Indian. That says everything.”
Meanwhile, 50-year-old Slovak GM Mikulas Manik, was equally impressed with Indians. “India has done remarkable work with its young talents. And it’s only getting better. The chess quality here is improving at a rate that’s hard to believe,” he said.
I used to beat Indian girls at will: Rani Hamid
Rani Hamid, the 80-year-old legendary chess player from Bangladesh, also shared her honest thoughts on Indian players. “I used to beat Indian girls at will. It felt good back then. But now, look where India is, and where we are. The difference is too big.”
19-year-old Indian GM Gukesh Dommaraju is the current Chess World Champion. He defeated China’s Ding Liren at the age of 18 to win the world title last year. Other Indian players like Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa , and Aravindh Chithambaram are also making waves in the chess world.
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