Indian chess grandmaster Pravin Thipsay has highlighted concerns over the sport's individualistic nature as young stars like D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi face recent struggles. Following India's historic successes in 2024, Thipsay argues that the rise of these players stems from personal efforts rather than a structured system. He predicts challenges in producing similar talents in the future without systemic changes.
Indian chess saw remarkable achievements in 2024, including a historic gold medal at the Chess Olympiad and D Gukesh's victories in the FIDE Candidates at age 17 and the World Chess Championship at 18. However, the Chennai grandmaster has not won any major title since becoming the youngest world champion. Recently, Gukesh had a disappointing performance at the Prague Chess Masters 2026, securing only one win. During the tournament, he apologized to fans for not signing autographs, stating he needed downtime.
R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi have also encountered difficulties in recent months. As favorites, they failed to advance to the semi-finals at the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa.
Analyzing their form, grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, who earned the title in 1997, noted a decline in their play. "Praggnanandhaa was once one of the most dangerous attacking players, but he isn’t getting many attacking positions now. Gukesh was phenomenal defensively, as his accuracy in events like the Olympiad was extraordinary," Thipsay told the Times of India. He added, "Rivals are preparing specific strategies to complicate games. Meanwhile, Arjun and Gukesh have lost some accuracy, and Praggnanandhaa some initiative."
Thipsay emphasized that Indian chess relies on individual brilliance rather than a supportive ecosystem, unlike the Russian model. "Indian chess has always been very individualistic. None of these champions has been created by a system," he said. He explained that parents sacrifice careers and invest resources, with players succeeding through dedication. Despite Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Erigaisi reaching the world's top 10, Thipsay warned, "Just because three players reach the top 10 today does not mean we will automatically produce three more in ten years."
