All posts tagged: Future of Indian chess

Grandmaster Shyamsundar Mohanraj is on a quiet quest to produce more Indian GMs | Chess News

Grandmaster Shyamsundar Mohanraj is on a quiet quest to produce more Indian GMs | Chess News

Published by Parlour News

“I was super desperate to start producing grandmasters for the country,” declares GM Shyamsundar Mohanraj in a soft, yet determined, voice right after guiding Srihari LR on his quest to become a grandmaster. Last week, the Chennai-based Srihari became India’s 86th grandmaster, separated from India’s 85th by a gap of just over a year. “It’s been a year since India has had a GM. In India we have too many talented players so it’s a pity that we have not had a GM for so long. There are so many guys who are within touching distance of the title,” he laments. The grandmaster title is the one of the hardest-earned ones in the sport of 64 squares. It’s a recognition of talent and aptitude but has to be earned by earning three norms at three different tournaments and crossing a rating threshold of 2500. Story continues below this ad Srihari’s 10-month-long struggle to get the final grandmaster norm reminded Shyamsundar of his own long wait to get past the finish line. The story goes that …

Why 2024 has been the year of Indian chess, even before Gukesh’s title

Why 2024 has been the year of Indian chess, even before Gukesh’s title

Published by Parlour News

There has been plenty of seismic activity in chess over the past couple of years. But the tremors emanating from the epicentre — India — have truly shaken up the sport in 2024. No one can deny that 2024 has been the year of Indian chess. And Indian chess’ best year on the chessboard too. It was a year that started with the Candidates tournament in Toronto. The Candidates — a test any player must pass if they are to earn a shot at the world champion’s crown — can accommodate only eight players, who make the cut through various, equally treacherous paths. Some make it via ranking, others via the FIDE circuit, and the rest via winning designated tournaments like the FIDE Grand Swiss. The Candidates is designed to be tough to qualify for. Despite that, three Indians — Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi — made the cut in the eight-man field in the open category while two women — Koneru Humpy and Vaishali Rameshbabu — were in the eight-women field. It’s tougher still …

INTERVIEW with AICF president Nitin Narang on India’s grand chess plan

Published by Webster

The historic double gold for India’s Open and Women’s teams at the Olympiad shifted the power equation in world chess and put the country’s GenNext players in the limelight. All India Chess Federation president Nitin Narang spoke to The Indian Express on the road ahead — India’s own player rating system, contracts for top players and the challenges of generating sponsorships. Excerpts: India has a bunch of very talented players. Do you see this as a big responsibility? Nitin Narang: The achievements of these golden boys and girls are because of their efforts and the sacrifices of their parents. When I was in Budapest for the Olympiad I saw how much parents were sacrificing. The federation’s role is to support players. Yes, there is a huge responsibility on my shoulders; one to continue the momentum, and second to make sure these players, who have outperformed everyone in the world, get the best of the facilities and support. How was the reaction of other players and fans during the Olympiad? Nitin Narang: India’s chess players were …