International Chess Day 2023: Know some Chess Champions from India

International Chess Day: According to FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, 178 nations honoured the international chess day as recently as 2013. A resolution recognising the day was overwhelmingly accepted by the UN General Assembly on December 12, 2019.

International Chess Day is an annual observance dedicated to celebrating the ancient and intellectually stimulating board game of chess. It falls on July 20th each year and aims to promote the game's benefits, historical significance, and its ability to foster critical thinking, concentration, and strategic planning among players of all ages and backgrounds.

The origins of International Chess Day can be traced back to 1966 when the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was established. FIDE is the global governing body for chess, and they sought to raise awareness about the game's universal appeal and its ability to transcend cultural and language barriers. As a result, July 20th was designated as the official day to honor and celebrate chess worldwide.

India has produced several outstanding chess players who have achieved remarkable success both nationally and internationally. Some of the notable chess champions from India include:

1. Viswanathan Anand: Indian grandmaster Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand won the World Chess Championship five times in the past. He was one of the few players to attain an Elo rating of 2800, a record he first accomplished in 2006, and he was the first grandmaster from India in 1988. He was chosen as the FIDE's deputy president in 2022.

2. Koneru Humpy: Indian chess player Koneru Humpy is best recognised for taking home the FIDE Women's Rapid Chess Championship in 2019. She surpassed Judit Polgár's previous record by three months in 2002, when she became the youngest woman to ever receive the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years, 1 month, and 27 days.

3. Pentala Harikrishna: When Pentala Harikrishna won the championship in 2001, he broke Gukesh D's previous record for becoming India's youngest grandmaster. He won the Asian Individual Championship in 2011, the World Junior Championship in 2004, and the Commonwealth Championship in 2001. He is now India's third-ranked player. In 2012, Harikrishna won the Tata Steel Group B competition. In 2013, he won the Biel MTO Masters Tournament Open competition. From 2000 through 2012, he competed for India at seven chess Olympiads, and in 2010, his team took home a bronze medal at the world team chess championships. Pentala won team gold, team silver, and individual bronze at the Asian Team Championships.

4. Vidit Gujarathi: In January 2013, he achieved grandmaster status, being the 30th player from India to do so. He ranks after Viswanathan Anand and Gukesh Dommaraju as India's third-best player as of July 2023. He is the fourth Indian player to surpass the 2700 Elo rating cap.

5. Harika Dronavalli: Indian chess player Harika Dronavalli is a Grandmaster in the FIDE rankings. In 2012, 2015, and 2017, she took home three bronze medals from the Women's World Chess Championship. The Indian government presented Harika with the Arjuna Award for the 2007–2008 academic year. She improved from world no. 11 to world no. 5 in the FIDE women's rankings in 2016 after winning the FIDE Women's Grand Prix competition in Chengdu, China. She draws chess inspiration from Viswanathan Anand, Judit Polgar, and Vladimir Kramnik.

6. R. Praggnanandhaa: At the age of 7, Praggnanandhaa became a FIDE Master after winning the World Youth Chess Championship Under-8 title in 2013. In 2015, he was the Under-10 champion. A chess prodigy, he became an international master at the age of 10, becoming the youngest person to do so, and a grandmaster at the age of 12, becoming the second-youngest person to become one. He defeated Magnus Carlsen in a rapid match on February 22, 2022, in the Airthings Masters Rapid Chess Tournament, making him the youngest player to that point to do so.

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