Hopes are high and expectations moderate. Their wonder year notwithstanding, the Indian youngsters are not among the favourites in the world rapid and blitz chess championship beginning in New York. That’s because they are not as proficient in the shorter formats. Their exploits in the classical or longest format shouldn’t be a yardstick when it comes to speed chess.
The world rankings across the variations make it clear. In the open section in classical, there are three Indians in the top-10 and five in the top-25. This number is two in the top-25 in rapid including Viswanathan Anand, a former world champion in this format, who is not part of the current contingent. The sensational D Gukesh is not playing this one either. Arjun Erigaisi is ranked 24th and India’s biggest hope. In blitz, there are three in the top-25. Anand is a constant there as well.
In the classical format in the women’s section, the Indian count in the top-25 is four. In rapid, it’s three but starting from No. 14, which is Koneru Humpy. A women’s rapid world champion in 2019, she is perhaps the biggest bet in this segment. In blitz, there are two in the top-25. Dronavalli Harika is another constant presence in every format.
It’s a crucial outing for Arjun. Trailing Fabiano Caruana of USA in the race to the Candidates through the FIDE Circuit gateway, he has to win this competition to stand a chance of making the cut for the eight-player elite event, the winner of which will take on Gukesh in next year’s world championship duel. Realistically, he doesn’t stand a big chance of winning this. The youngster ranked fourth in the classical format can qualify through other channels also.
It’s a mixed bag in the open section from India, with seasoned GMs like Sandipan Chanda in the fray with the upcoming ones like Nihal Sarin and Raunak Sadhwani. Both of them have shown spark in the shorter formats. In the mix also is V Pranav, who won the uneder-18 world rapid and blitz titles in Slovenia recently. There is promise in the junior categories, but other than Anand and Humpy, Indians are still to excel at the highest echelons in speed chess at the senior level.
While Humpy and Harika lead the challenge in the women’s section, it will also be a great opportunity for R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh. Both of them did well this year and Divya was the standout star of India’s gold-medal feat at the Olympiad. When it comes to the shorter formats, it’s a perfect stage for them to display what kind of progress they have made.
Just to emphasise again, hopes should not be high in terms of podium places in the event to take place at Wall Street. Indians were the runaway world champions in 2024, but almost all of the achievements came in the longer version. In the ‘T-20s and 100-balls’ of chess, the triumphs are far less in comparison. Will New York see a change? One will know by the New Year.
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