All the talk in the Indian chess community is revolving around R Praggnanandhaa and his chances of qualifying for next year’s Candidates Championship. It is a prestigious competition, second only to the World Championship in hierarchy.
Three Indians had made it to the eight-player event last year, and with Pragg the only one with a chance this time, the spotlight is naturally on him. If he wins the Candidates, next year’s World Championship will be contested between him and D Gukesh.
Getting overshadowed by that excitement and anticipation is the fact that three Indians have made it to the Candidates in the women’s section. That is the maximum the country has ever had in this competition. Koneru Humpy and R Vaishali were there last year as well. This time, they have been joined by Divya Deshmukh, who sealed her berth by winning the World Cup, beating Humpy in the final. Vaishali won the Grand Swiss, another qualifying event.
It is a watershed moment in Indian women’s chess. For long, their success has been buried under the achievements of the boys in the open section. What they have done is no less commendable. The Indian men’s team won bronze and gold at the Olympiad in 2022 and 2024. The women’s team did exactly the same.
On top of that, Divya won the World Cup played in the classical format, while Humpy won gold in the World Rapid Championship and Vaishali bronze in the World Blitz Championship last year. These players have excelled across formats, and three of them making it to the Candidates is a reflection of that good work.
Last year in Toronto, where Gukesh won the Candidates, Humpy and Vaishali finished second and third in the women’s section behind China’s Tan Zhongyi. The Chinese are the undisputed leaders in women’s chess. The top four in the world are Chinese. Humpy is fifth, Divya 12th and Vaishali 17th. Dronavalli Harika is the other Indian in the top 20 at 19th. All four are Grandmasters.
The good news from the Indian point of view is the rise of the new generation. Humpy and Harika kept the country’s flag flying for a long time. It is only in the last couple of years that the likes of Divya, Vaishali and Vantika Agarwal have stormed in. Divya and Vantika were the standout performers at the Olympiad. This lot taking over from Humpy and Harika, both mothers and active players, is the biggest news for India.
In all likelihood, Pragg will make it to the Candidates to be played in Cyprus in March–April. That should not overshadow the tremendous achievement of the women’s trio. One of the eight slots is still to be decided. Of the seven who have already qualified, three are Indians, two are Chinese and two Russians. That is a statement of India’s growing power. There is more to the future of Indian chess than Gukesh, Pragg & Co.
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