From hosting highs to rating rises, Indian chess has had a phenomenal run in the last couple of years, emerging as a strong contender to be a super power in chess. The recent rating statistics released by FIDE (world chess organisation) shows India in third spot with a Top 10 player average of Elo 2698 points, a mere two points behind second-placed Russia. The United States with most migrated players, tops the list with 2,730 while China follows fourth with 2,684. For the first time, there are nine Indians in the top 100 FIDE rating list, a far cry from the times when Viswanathan Anand stood solo.

The FIDE World Cup which concluded at Baku, Azerbaijan, yesterday with 18-year-old Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa seeded 31, losing to legend Magnus Carlsen in the final, comprehensively showcased India’s strength, both in terms of quantity and quality, creating and erasing existing records.