How India built 2nd biggest army of chess GMs in 35 yrs

The Maruti 800 came five years before India’s first chess grandmaster title. Thirty-five short years later India is second only to Russia (208 total, 104 active players) in terms of GMs. The feat is all the more staggering considering that Covid disrupted over-the-board chess events where GMs are minted.Medium108404841 Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa, who was the youngest International Master (IM) of the world at 10 in 2015, has defeated undisputed chess king Magnus Carlsen multiple times on online platforms. Arjun Erigaisi and D Gukesh have redefined young Indian chess players’ hunger by winning titles. And Nihal Sarin and M Pranesh add an element of pleasant surprise.How did India turn into a GM mint? The emergence and financial viability of the online platform, Vishy Anand’s active involvement in mentoring talent, and a number of young GMs and stronger teenaged players have changed the narrative.Medium108404842 Huge Player Base “Having so many GMs is a logical progression,” says premier national coach Grandmaster RB Ramesh, who quit chess at a young age and now runs Chess Gurukul in Chennai (a third of India’s GMs are from Tamil Nadu). “We have a large population and more and more children have taken up the sport. There are a good number of coaches, academies and proper training methods.”But Ramesh points out the growth has happened without proper planning. “It has been largely possible due to the initiative of a few individuals.” The game appeals to well-off Indians as it is injury-free and evokes respect because it is associated with intelligence. Having a role model like Anand also helps.Medium108404843 To critics who point out that 35 of India’s 79 GMs have slipped below the minimum threshold of Elo 2500 (see box), Ramesh says becoming a GM even with the lower criteria is tough, and had it really become easier more GMs would be coming out of other countries also.He says Indians’ capacity for hard work has been key. “Generally speaking, it is far easier for an Indian kid to take a 5am online chess class than for an American or a European student.”Medium108404844 Low Entry Barrier Chess is thriving in India because it does not require huge infrastructure, latest playing equipment and modern methods of physical training. With access to a computer and chess engines, anyone can practise opening moves, and the chances of being outplayed by a slightly stronger player have diminished.Medium108404845 This helps unfancied players because, for a GM norm, a drawn game earns half a point, and not having to play a tiebreaker against a higher-rated player can mean a significant gain.“It is not possible for all the players to reach a high-level Elo performance (2600) more than 3-4 times in their career,” says former seven-time national champion Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay. “With the emphasis on opening preparation, the players can give good results in a short span of time.”Medium108404848 Less Knowledgeable? But Thipsay says today’s GMs are not as knowledgeable as the masters of yesteryear “because it is not possible to attain that kind of wisdom with 3-4 years of meticulous hard work…. Becoming a GM was considered a difficult task at one time. When I became a GM (in the year 1997) there were fewer than 300 GMs in the world, now there are 2,000 or so.”Ramesh, however, says today’s generation is task-oriented and has a practical approach towards sports and life in general. “Being principled all the time too has its drawbacks.” But he concedes: “The number of players quitting active chess is significantly more now.”Medium108404849 ‘Game Of The Privileged’ Breaking into the GM circuit early has now become crucial for a career in chess, says Thipsay. “It is largely believed that if you are not at your peak at the age of 20-21, it is unlikely that you will become a world champion.” It also means that if you are not a GM before turning 17, your chances to break into the elite dip.But turning young GMs into formidable players is quite a task due to stagnation and the spiralling costs of training and playing tournaments.Medium108404850 Medium108404851 “The harsh reality of Indian chess is that if you are a good player from a poor background without any well-wisher and sponsorship, you can’t progress,” says Ramesh, adding: “90% of GM norms attained by Indians happen in Europe, including Serbia and other countries. I estimate Indians are spending a minimum of Rs 50 crore a year in pursuit of GM norms. These are just travelling, lodging and boarding expenses.”Thipsay says free coaching for players can level the field. “In Russia and China, the GMs were paid for their coaching by the system. We need something on those lines.” Ramesh says organising GM norm tournaments in India could also help, but it poses other challenges.He says when such tournaments are announced in India, players with a poor rating compete in them to gain experience but end up diluting the strength of the tournament. “Naturally, even the winners of such tournaments don’t attain GM norm-level performances.” But tournament organisers say they need to take additional entries to break even.Medium108404853