It is what we had hoped would happen when we saw the performances at the Chess Olympiad in 2022, where India B finished with a bronze in the open category, and the India women’s team won a bronze too. But with Gukesh now raising the bar higher by entering the Top-10 in the FIDE chess rankings, it will push the others even harder.

There are multiple reasons for this spurt. The ecosystem is in place, there are sponsors, there is exposure, there is access to the best equipment and there is a lot of talent. For chess to grow in India, this depth of talent was important.

The depth stokes intense competition and that, in turn, creates very strong players. Now, if you want to represent India at the World Cup or the Olympiad, you have to be playing at a very high level. No one is completely safe and that keeps them on the edge. It keeps them honest.

They are open with each other; they are friends, but at the same time, they all have their secrets because they know that might help them win one day. And here, most of us are only looking at the top players, but there are a lot more at the lower levels who are playing very good chess as well.

When I became India number 1 (in July 1986 with an elo rating of 2,405, moving ahead of Pravin Thipsay), there really wasn’t anyone else who was close. In 1988, when I became a GM at 20, I was not thinking of the competition; my mind was set on a three-year plan that could take me to the very top. In a sense, I had to figure things out on my own because there was no one else who had walked down the path before.

After I became GM in 1988, Dibyendu Barua followed in 1991, and Pravin Thipsay in 1997.

Today, there is a sea change. In the last decade alone (since 2013), India has gained 50 GMs. We currently have six Indian GMs (including the semi-retired me) with an elo rating of over 2,700.

Becoming a GM, while being an achievement in itself, hardly registers a ripple now. It is a sign of how the goalposts have shifted.

The current generation is also different in the sense that they can fall back on my experience and the journeys of several other chess coaches who are doing a great job with many players. This is vital but at the same time, we can only guide them.

Almost all the top-level players have access to the same material and equipment these days. There is little to set them apart there. But the differentiator at the highest level is the attitude, consistency, fitness, and nerves, it can be everything. The only edge you can have is to keep working harder and smarter than anyone else. All this gives you the confidence to take the risks that you need to take at the highest level.

You want a well-rounded player because, in my opinion, you have to be ready to counter whatever the opponent might throw at you. Things won’t always go your way, there will be players who will take you out of your preparation — how will you respond then? What will you fall back on? Will you feel lost because this was something outside your calculations?

This is why working hard becomes so very important. Getting to 2,700 is part of the challenge, the other is staying there.

All the hype aside, it is important to realise that Indian chess isn’t about men alone. For chess to truly grow and prosper in the country, we need the women to do well also. There is still an unfortunate gap between men and women players, not just in India but around the world, and that is something we must attempt to close.

We are trying to do that at my academy and hopefully, we can find success there. There is a huge chasm between the levels of Koneru Humpy and Harika D, and the others at the moment. They have the wisdom and experience to stay at the top of the women’s game for many more years but hopefully, others will start challenging them soon. After all, you can’t fly on one wing. A true revolution takes everyone along.

Gukesh and Pragg are the standard bearers of this new era in Indian chess. My experience can help but they still have to walk their own path; they still have to find their own solutions. They are still getting used to their new status. There will be setbacks as well, for the path to the top is never a simple one. But they are on the right path and at this point, that is important.

For now, India as a chess nation still needs to take things one step at a time. We are on the rise but there is still a lot to be done.

A broader base will help and so will depth. Over time, they will drive each other. Will we come to dominate the sport in a decade? Will these youngsters challenge for the world titles?

Will another Indian become a world champion? These are questions that will have to wait; for now, the one thing that is for certain is that Indian chess has come of age.

Viswanathan Anand is a five-time world chess champion. The views expressed are personal