New Delhi | The year 2025 proved to be a memorable one for Indian chess, with young talents making a strong impact on the global stage and reinforcing India’s rise as a chess powerhouse. While women’s chess found a new heroine in Divya Deshmukh, reigning world champion D. Gukesh experienced a relatively subdued year despite a few notable highs.
Gukesh scripted a historic moment by defeating Magnus Carlsen in a classical game for the first time at the Norway Chess Tournament, a landmark achievement in his career. However, consistency eluded him across major events, making 2025 a comparatively quiet year by his high standards.
In contrast, R. Praggnanandhaa enjoyed an outstanding season. He defeated Gukesh to clinch the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025 and followed it up with strong performances at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania, UzChess Cup, and the London Chess Classic. Praggnanandhaa went on to win the FIDE Circuit 2025, becoming the first Indian male player to qualify for the Candidates Tournament through the circuit and securing his place in the 2026 Candidates.
The biggest breakthrough in women’s chess came from Divya Deshmukh, who created history by winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi. She became the first Indian woman to lift the title, also earning the prestigious Grandmaster title and qualifying for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
The FIDE World Cup 2025, hosted in Goa, brought mixed emotions. Despite high expectations from Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi and Divya Deshmukh, none of the Indian players reached the final stages, a disappointment on home soil.
Nevertheless, Indian chess continues to surge ahead. Since Viswanathan Anand became India’s first Grandmaster in 1988, the country now boasts 91 Grandmasters, underlining its rapid growth as a global chess force and setting the stage for even greater achievements in the years ahead.
