Chess takes centre stage: Gukesh, Arjun and Praggnanandhaa progress in the FIDE World Cup — India’s chess surge continues
The FIDE World Cup is arguably one of the most significant tournaments on the global chess calendar, acting both as a standalone major event and as a qualification pathway to the Candidates Tournament. On November 8, 2025, coverage from ESPN highlighted that India’s top young grandmasters — Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi, and R. Praggnanandhaa — advanced into the third round, continuing a remarkable run for Indian chess at the highest level. The tournament has also seen other Indian achievements, including the rise of young GM Raahul VS to become India’s 91st grandmaster — an indicator of the country’s deepening talent pipeline. �
ESPN
What makes this run notable India’s surge in elite chess over the past decade is not accidental. A combination of institutional support, flourishing youth academies, increased sponsorship, and a generation inspired by Viswanathan Anand has produced a deep pool of high-level players. The success of Gukesh, Arjun, and Praggnanandhaa at the World Cup elevates India’s profile on the global stage and reinforces the narrative that the country is now a chess superpower. The trio’s technical strengths — Gukesh’s aggressive dynamism, Arjun’s positional clarity and speed, and Praggnanandhaa’s pragmatic resilience — make them formidable in knock-out formats where psychological pressure is as important as opening knowledge. �
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Tournament format and pressure The World Cup’s knockout format is uniquely unforgiving: a single match can swing momentum dramatically, and players must balance preparation for opponents across a wide range of styles. Rapid and blitz tiebreaks frequently decide ties, testing flexibility and nerves. For young players, maintaining emotional equilibrium during these swings is often the difference between an early exit and a deep run. That Gukesh, Arjun and Praggnanandhaa navigated their early rounds speaks to both their increasing maturity and the depth of India’s coaching and support structures. �
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Key games and turning moments While specific game reports offer granular insights — tactical brilliancies, missed conversions, or novelties that unsettled opponents — the broader takeaway is consistency under pressure. These players are increasingly comfortable converting small advantages and rescuing difficult positions, an evolution from earlier years when youthful brilliance sometimes lacked endgame technique. Their preparation is thorough: opening novelties tailored to opponents, psychological readiness for tiebreaks, and precise time management. ESPN’s reporting on the World Cup gives game-level context and highlights the players who produced decisive results on November 8. �
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Implications for the future Progressing to later rounds in the World Cup improves not only rankings and prize earnings but also qualification prospects for future elite events. Deep runs grant valuable experience in high-stakes match play and generate media and sponsor attention that can accelerate professional development. Moreover, strong performances by a national cohort create feedback loops: more sponsorship, more domestic tournaments, and more young players inspired to take chess seriously. India’s chess ecosystem benefits when its stars succeed internationally — both in terms of funding and the quality of competition available at home. �
ESPN
Conclusion The FIDE World Cup action on November 8 underlined that Indian chess is not a flash in the pan; it is a sustained movement. Gukesh, Arjun, and Praggnanandhaa advancing to the third round is a tangible marker of that growth — a blend of individual talent, institutional support, and a national appetite for chess that continues to translate into global results. As the tournament progresses, the world will be watching whether these young grandmasters can convert early promise into a campaign that challenges for the very top. �
