(Not) A Child’s Play: A Glimpse Into India’s Legacy Of Chess Prodigies

Over the weekend, 16-year-old Indian chess prodigy, Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa beat the World’s No.1 Magnus Carlsen in a riveting online tournament. Praggnanandhaa became the world’s youngest grandmaster in history at the age of 10 back in 2016. India continues to keep up with its legacy of producing chess prodigies that create waves in the international community.

India’s rich cultural history also hints at a long-existing relationship that our country shares with the game. From the ancient chaturanga which is spoken about in detail in most of the Indian epics to the present-day version of the cerebral sport, India has contributed immensely to the growth of the game as the global community that it has fostered over the decades. We take a look at young prodigies that are shaping this marvellous legacy for the country at the moment.

I. Abhimanyu Mishra

Already the youngest Indian American grandmaster at age 12, young Abhimanyu Mishra, is well on his way to creating history. His victory tournament was against India’s grandmaster Leon Mendonca (15) in an international chess tournament held in Hungary in the second half of 2021.

II. Nihal Sarin

Hailing from the southern state of Kerala, 17-year-old Nihal Sarin achieved the title of Grandmaster at age 14. Nihal has been practising chess as a hobby since he was 6 and was deeply influenced by his grandfather who introduced him to the sport. Sarin also happens to be the fourth youngest player in the world to cross the Elo rating mark of 2600, which is a unit of measure used to calculate the relative skills of players.

Image Courtesy: Sportskeeda

III. Gukkesh Dommaraju

Gukesh who bagged his grandmaster title at the age of 12 hails from Chennai. Before winning the title, Gukkesh played over 276 games in a brief period of just 15 months and established a strong foothold in the game.