 "Magnus Carlsen has said the Indian chess is looking towards a 'very bright future'. Image: Norway Chess")
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has admitted that he is facing tough competition from young Indian chess players who have taken the sport by storm. The Indian men’s and women’s teams won the Chess Olympiad gold medals for the first time in 2024 before D Gukesh defeated Ding Liren to become the youngest chess world champion of all time at 18.
Currently, there are three players in the world top 10, including Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa and five in the top 15, comprising Aravindh Chithambaram and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand.
Carlsen ’trying to stay ahead’ of Indian chess stars
The five-time world champion Carlsen highlighted the same depth in his conversation with Indian news agency ANI as he said that he is focussed on staying ahead of the young Indian chess Grandmasters and that Indian chess has a very bright future.
“Honestly, it’s not only Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa. There’s obviously Arjun as well, Aravindh, who’s now progressing and a ton of others who will be competing in many years to come,” Carlsen said.
“So the future is certainly very bright for Indian chess. Right now I’m just trying to stay ahead while I can.”
While the 34-year-old Carlsen is more than a decade older than the young Indian chess sensations, he continues to be the best player in the world and recently defeated both Gukesh and Arjun at the ongoing Norway Chess 2025. He also holds the sole lead at the tournament while the Indians are in a joint-fourth spot.
Carlsen also addressed how Artificial Intelligence (AI) has impacted the world of chess. He said that AI has created a more level playing field.
“AI certainly has affected the game a lot since it was introduced about, I would say, six years ago. It’s enhanced our understanding of the game a lot, but it’s also been a great equaliser in the sense that it’s now easier to obtain knowledge at an earlier point in your career.”
Carlsen will be back in action on Saturday, taking on American GM Fabiano Caruana in Round 5, while Erigaisi faces Hikaru Nakamura and Gukesh plays against Wei Yi.