It was the turn of the century when Viswanathan Anand became the world champion for the first time. He ruled the chess world for more than a decade, and now, in 2024, India has produced a second world champion — D Gukesh. In these years, the country has become a powerhouse of 64 squares — a la USSR of the 1900s — and the epicentre of this chess revolution in India that Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen had predicted — is Chennai.
Anand’s success was the catalyst.What began as a ripple evolved into a wave, transforming Chennai from a quiet chess hub into a city that consistently produces top-tier talent. Chess boards became a common sight in schools and summer camps, tournaments flourished, and a generation of players emerged from academies. Today, Tamil Nadu, with its 31 GMs, has become the beating heart of the chess scene in India, which boasts of 85 GMs.
This chess boom, though, didn’t happen overnight. Anand’s rise to prominence was pivotal, but it was the growing respect for chess within the state that truly fuelled the game’s explosion.
During an interaction facilitated by the West-Bridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA), one of the prime promoters of chess in India, co-founder and five-time world champion Anand, told TOI: “TN has always taken chess seriously and the culture here respects it. When I became the first GM, several followed. I’m sure becoming world champion has motivated many to start playing. I think I was a catalyst for getting chess a lot more attention in the beginning.”
As the chess community in Chennai expanded, so did its network of support. Coaches such as R B Ramesh, M Shyam Sundar and V Vishnu Prasanna played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s growing chess culture. Their academies became breeding grounds for young talent, while the surge of local tournaments helped hone the skills of many emerging stars.
“Chess has become more popular, appreciated, recognised and visible,” says Ramesh, who has shaped the careers of many at his Chess Gurukul academy. “When we were young, we didn’t feel we could compete at an international level. But now, children dream of becoming world champions.”
Another institution making waves in the chess world is WACA with Gukesh as one of its shining stars. “We’re constantly looking for new talent, younger players who can replicate Gukesh’s success,” says co-founder Sandeep Singhal.
The growth of this ecosystem isn’t just measured in titles and trophies; it’s reflected in the stories of players such as Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and R Vaishali, all students of Velammal Vidyalaya, which has produced 20 GMs. It’s a school that stood by these talented players. Before this year’s Candidates tournament — the qualifier for the World Chess Championship final — it’s this ‘chess factory’ that arranged funds so Gukesh could have a super computer, which is crucial for preparation.
While Gukesh is currently the toast of the town, Pragg, with his early successes, kept the flag flying as Anand was slowly taking a step back after years of domination. And it’s Pragg’s sister Vaishali who stood tall among the world’s top women players — both were a part of the historic gold winning Chess Olympiad 2024 teams. But it’s not just the teenagers. This year, 32-year-old P Shyaam Nikhil (from Nagercoil) became a GM after an excruciating wait of 12 years for his final norm.
It wasn’t just a series of individual triumphs that fuelled this upswing. The 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, became a landmark event that showcased the city’s prowess. The Chennai Chess Grand Masters tournament, inaugurated last year and now set to be an annual event, became a crucial stepping stone to the World Championship for Gukesh.
“The event directly contributed to Gukesh qualifying for the Candidates, where he won and went on to challenge for the crown,” says Anand. “The event gave young players a platform to compete alongside the best players.” If Anand was the spark that ignited chess in India, Gukesh is the flame, burning brightly and showing the way for a new generation. “When I saw Anand becoming a Grandmaster in 1989, I took up chess to beome one. Now, everyone will be taking inspiration from Gukesh,” says Ramesh. “The young generation has more role models to look up to, we had only one.”
Gukesh had told TOI there’s healthy rivalry amongst him and his peers. “One’s success drives the others. Chennai has been a chess hub for a long time, but good results at the top level are becoming more frequent, which is encouraging.” With Gukesh’s remarkable ascent and Pragg’s persistence, the prospect of a World Championship showdown between the two is no longer a distant dream. And when that happens, we can truly say Chennai has become the new Moscow of world chess.
HOW THE STATE FARED THROUGH THE YEAR 2024
D Gukesh becoming the world champion was the highlight for the city sports fraternity, which otherwise had a middling year. TOI takes a look at the major sports happenings throughout the year.
BELOW-PAR SHOW BY CSK | Chennai Super Kings were not at their usual best, failing to make the last-four stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL). M S Dhoni missed a chance to play his farewell match in Chennai, but he returns to IPL this year too as an ‘uncapped’ player as the new-look CSK hope to put up a formidable fight.
ASHWIN LEAVES THE STAGE | India’s ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shocked the world by calling time on his glittering 14year international career. He announced his retirement after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at Gabba in Brisbane. The 38-year-old took 765 international wickets across all formats. The veteran, though, will continue to play the IPL after CSK bought him back at the auctions after nine years.
DRIVING THROUGH THE NIGHT | Chennai hosted the country’s firstever night street race and showcased its motorsports excellence. Despite a false start, the organisers managed to recover and put up a dramatic show.
PARALYMPIANS BRING THE SMILES BACK | India got 29 medals in Paris Paralympics with four Tamil Nadu athletes – shuttlers Thulasimathi Murugesan (silver in women’s singles SU5), Manisha Ramadass (bronze in women’s singles SU5), Nithya Sre Sivan (bronze in women’s singles SH6) and Mariyappan Thangavelu (bronze in men’s high jump T63) making the podium. This was Mariyappan’s third Paralympics medal.
