In 2026, India sits at the summit of world chess in a way no single country has since the Soviet era. D. Gukesh, 18, is the reigning World Chess Champion after defeating Ding Liren in Chennai in December 2024 โ the youngest world champion in history. Praggnanandhaa (Pragg), 19, is rated world number three and won the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee in January 2026. Arjun Erigaisi has broken into the world top five for the first time, ranking fourth globally with a live rating above 2800. Vidit Gujrathi is ranked 12th in the world. On the women's side, Koneru Humpy remains one of the top three women players in the world. The Indian women's team won the 2024 Chess Olympiad gold medal. No country โ not Russia, not China, not the United States โ currently has five players in the world's top fifteen the way India does. This is not a coincidence: it is the product of 30 years of chess culture building, academies and the Vishy Anand effect.