Atreyo Mukhopadhyay
The rise of the leading trio of Indian chess happened at such a rapid pace that the progress made by others got blurred. It’s not only about D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa. There are several players close to breaking into the elite league. Some of them will participate in the FIDE World Cup in Goa from October 30 to November 27.
P Harikrishna and Vidit Gujrathi have spent many seasons in the circuit. Both were members of last year’s Olympiad gold-winning team. Who else to look forward to? In a list of five, the first few are automatic choices. The fight starts after that. Here are the RevSportz picks…
Aravindh Chithambaram (Elo rating 2711, world ranking 29)
The fastest mover late last year and in early 2025, he shot up to a career-best world No. 11 in April. He won two strong tournaments, edging out stable-mate Pragg in one of those in Prague. With a rating of 2749, he was on the cusp of making it four Indians in the top 10. From June started the fall, not as rapid as the rise, but striking. From 11th, he slid to 24th in July and has just about managed to remain in the top 30 since. However, the 26-year-old, rated highly by coach RB Ramesh, goes by instinct, which is to attack. He will have ups and downs. The ups will be impactful.
Nihal Sarin (Elo rating 2700, world ranking 32)
A special talent who got overshadowed by the meteoric rise of his contemporaries, has had a fruitful year so far. Winning a title in Tashkent was a boost and although not in a spectacular manner, the player from Kerala has taken important steps. He was struggling midway through the Asian Individual Championship and posted a string of wins to finish joint top on points. On tie-breaker he came second, but sealed a World Cup spot. Touching 2700 was a personal milestone. Known for his ability in speed chess, the 21-year-old is showing he is comfortable with change of pace.
Divya Deshmukh (Elo rating 2498, women’s world ranking 11)
Her tournament ranking is 150 out of 206. She is 598th in the world in the open section. She is also one of the star attractions. The women’s World Cup winner deserves this special wild card. Of late, she has started challenging herself in tournaments consisting mostly of men. At the recent Grand Swiss Open, the player turning 20 in December, did rather well by beating two players and drawing with five who were rated at least 100 points above her. The pinnacle must have been the Round 8 draw with Gukesh. The only woman participant in Goa could be a tough nut to crack.
V Pranav (Elo rating 2641, world ranking 84)
Of around 70 players in Goa rated in the 2600s, he is somewhere in a nondescript middle. Then, he is the U-20 world champion and the U-18 world champion in rapid and blitz. This makes him someone to keep an eye on. One of two nominees of the All India Chess Federation, along with Raunak Sadhwani, he is sharpening his game at the WestBank Anand Chess Academy in Chennai. That’s the place all the top guns turn to for advanced training. Turning 19 on October 13, he will be richer by the knockout experience irrespective of how far he goes.
Leon Luke Mendonca (Elo rating 2620, world ranking 120)
Why him? Why not? He is one of the two Grandmasters from Goa. He is the lone representative in the competition of a state that swears by football. His presence may not draw locals to the venue in droves or ignite a passion for chess, but it will be a special moment. The 19-year-old has had some good outings in strong tournaments. One of those got him a ticket to the Tata Steel Masters this year, which must have been an eye-opener. His performance against some highly-rated players in freestyle chess has drawn attention. This son of the soil has little to lose and a lot to strive for.
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