India's golden generation 'incredibly hungry for chess': Vishy Anand

"What is the secret of Indian chess's success?" Viswanathan Anand was asked when he joined the FIDE commentary team for Game 3 of the World Chess Championship in Singapore on Wednesday. "I know there is hardwork, but what else?" commentator IM Jovanka Houska prodded. Anand thought briefly, then replied: "Harder work."

India's greatest chess player has been like a Godfather to the golden generation of chess players, comprising R Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Vaishali, among others. "The Indian chess scene is very competitive, and that keeps you on your toes all the time," Anand said.

The five-time world champion said the golden generation thrives on healthy internal competition. "A lot of them are just incredibly hungry for chess... they are good friends and very strong rivals," Anand said during the FIDE livestream. "They are all in the top 10, top 20, but they are fighting for their spot in the team, fighting for the spot in the city, and that keeps them on their toes. That keeps them motivated."

There are five Indians in the top 20 of men's FIDE world rankings, and four in the top-20 of women's world rankings. In the men's section, two Indians are well-placed in the top five. Among the men, Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa were born after 2000. Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali are Indian women born after 2000 who feature in the top 20. The youngsters played a pivotal role in India securing a historic double gold at the Chess Olympiad in September.

Anand wonders if the youngsters play too much chess, but he doesn't want to slow them down. "I thought if I played two or three classical tournaments, it was good to take a break. Nowadays, there are so many blitz and rapid games online. I still think a lot of them (youngsters) play too much. But they love it, and if it works for you, then why not," Anand said.