India's Chess Dominance Continues: Young Stars Shine as Country Rises to Global Prominence

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India's chess prowess has been on full display in 2025, with a new generation of young stars emerging to take the global stage by storm. The country's rise to chess supremacy reached new heights when D Gukesh became the youngest-ever FIDE World Champion in December 2024, marking a historic moment for Indian chess. Gukesh's impressive victory was closely followed by Divya Deshmukh, who made her own mark on the chess world by defeating Koneru Humpy in the all-Indian final of the Women's Chess World Cup. The 19-year-old's 1.5-0.5 win in the tie-breaker earned her a spot in the 2026 Candidates and made her the first Indian to win the FIDE Women's World Cup. However, Gukesh's 2025 was not without its challenges. As the reigning World Champion, he faced increased pressure from opponents and struggled to maintain his form throughout the year. Despite this, he still managed to secure some notable victories, including a win against Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess. In the men's section of the Candidates, R Praggnanandhaa emerged as the sole Indian representative, while Arjun Erigaisi failed to qualify. Divya, Humpy, and Vaishali Rameshbabu secured spots in the women's section. The country's production of grandmasters also continued to grow, with Pranav Venkatesh winning the U20 World Junior C'ship and Srihari LR, Ilamparthi AR, and Raahul VS becoming the country's 86th, 90th, and 91st GMs, respectively. As India continues to rise to global prominence in chess, fans can look forward to an exciting future for the country's young stars.