Indian young prodigies are not only showing their prowess on the checkerboard, but also in their earnings from prize money and sponsorships, as chess finally turns lucrative
Viswanathan Anand is estimated to have a net worth of around US$ 10 million and is ranked among the top 10 richest chess players in the world
Money is usually attracted, not pursued,” says famous American entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn. The current crop of Indian chess prodigies, who have transitioned and stationed themselves in the Top 10 in world rankings, will agree.
At just 18, when most would be undecided about their career choices, Dommaraju Gukesh pursued his passion to win the world chess title a little more than a year ago and attracted a cool Rs 11.4 crore in prize money. His earnings from chess crossed a phenomenal Rs 21 crore in a year, albeit supplemented by sponsorships, gifts and appearance money, not to mention a Mercedez Benz E class by his alma mater, Velammal Vidyalaya in Chennai.
Arjun Erigaisi, just 22, and 20-year-old Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, fondly known as Pragg, are some of the other Indian chess players who have been money magnets in 2025.
Magnus Carlsen is the top earner in the world, by a long margin. FILE PICS
After breaching the elite Elo 2800 barrier early this year, Erigaisi has garnered around Rs 3 crore in prize money and has a deal with Quantbox amounting to about Rs 2.5 crore a year. Pragg, too, has a hefty sponsorship from Adani, an undisclosed amount to help him achieve his dream of becoming world champion. In 2024, Pragg had won about Rs 1.7 crore in prize money, while India’s best ever woman chess player of all time, Koneru Humpy also earned R1 crore-plus in prize money.
International Master (IM) Sagar Shah, who co-founded globally popular chess platform ChessBase India with his wife Amruta, has been extensively involved in massive prize money chess events around the world for the last couple of years. He is upbeat that chess today is lucrative enough to lure top class Indian talent. “For players above Elo 2700 it is definitely financially viable to pursue chess as a profession. In fact, even above the Elo 2600 mark, though a bit unstable, it’s worth considering. If previously there were five players who could make money, now it is 15,” says Sagar.
India’s best woman chess player, Koneru Humpy earned Rs 1 crore-plus
Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, the highest ever rated player on the planet, is undoubtedly responsible for popularising and glamourising chess, pulling in the moolah. The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour and the Esports World Cup have also lent more glamour and attracted fan following like never before. Quite clearly, Carlsen has marketed chess like no other world champion and his personal net worth, which is more than US$ 25 million (approximately R225 crore) is proof of this. Japan’s Hikaru Nakamura, with an almost equal net worth, has most of his money coming in from online streaming and endorsements.
“Freestyle chess is making a significant impact in the chess world. A total of six events were scheduled for the 2025 tour, each with a $750,000 (Rs 6.77 crore) prize fund, and for the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championships, the prize pool is $300,000 (Rs 2.7 crore). Esports Chess had massive prizes, going into millions of dollars. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin all signed contracts with Esports.
At Rs 3.8 crore, Arjun Erigaisi is the top Indian earner from 2025
Some of the former India players like Abhijit Kunte, RB Ramesh, Surya Shekhar Ganguly, K Sasikiran, and P Harikrishna, among others, who had huge potential but missed out due financial challenges, could have definitely benefitted more with stronger financials,” adds Sagar.
Interestingly, India’s five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand is estimated to have a net worth of around US$ 10 million and is ranked among the top 10 richest chess players in the world. These figures may not be as authentic as the ratings that reflect a player’s strength, but they do come close to reality.
Sagar Shah with his wife Amruta at Ghatkopar. Pic/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI
Numerous corporate bodies have jumped into the chess arena to sponsor both, events and players, paving the path for talented prodigies who no longer have to struggle like before.
“Quant box, Tata steel, Chola chess, Tech Mahendra have invested big time in Indian chess players and events. The Global Chess League, sponsored by Tech Mahindra, has six franchise teams with Indian and International players, owned by Indian corporates like Triveni Engineering, Punit Balan, etc. The chess eco-system of sponsors is growing rapidly, with each team bringing in their own team of sponsors. Apart from that, Ambit and Westbridge have invested substantially in chess too.
Humpy, 38, a two-time women’s World Rapid Champion, who dominated women’s chess, rues the lack of sponsorship in the game previously. “I did not have a sponsor for three years even after becoming GM and winning the world junior girls title at just 14 years, an all-time record.” These days, though, good performances attract money while great performances ensure a windfall.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
