While analysing the poor form of D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa, Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay delivered a bitter reality check about the flawed ecosystem of Indian chess.
Indian chess legend Pravin Thipsay has delivered a bitter reality check as the young chess stars from the country, including world D Gukesh, have struggled to replicate their blistering form from 2024. Indian chess experienced an unprecedented rise in 2024 as they won a historic gold medal at the Chess Olympiad, while Gukesh won the FIDE Candidates at just 17 and later the World Chess Championship at the age of 18.
However, the Chennai Grandmaster has struggled to live up to the expectations so far, not winning any major title since becoming the youngest world chess champion. Gukesh recently had a poor outing in the Prague Chess Masters 2026, winning just one match. He also apologised to fans during an interview through the tournament for not signing autographs, as Gukesh
admitted that he needed some downtime.
It’s not just Gukesh, even R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi have had a few troubled fast few months. Despite being one of the favourites, they failed to reach the semi-finals at the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa.
‘Gukesh have lost some accuracy’
Dissecting the poor form of the renowned Indian trio, Thipsay said that Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi’s games have lost some shine in recent months, while the opponents have started to prepare better than ever for the Indian GMs.
“Praggnanandhaa was once one of the most dangerous attacking players, but he isn’t getting many attacking positions now. Gukesh was phenomenal defensively, as his accuracy in events like the Olympiad was extraordinary,” Thipsay, who became a Grandmaster in 1997, told Times of India.
“Rivals are preparing specific strategies to complicate games. Meanwhile, Arjun and Gukesh have lost some accuracy, and Praggnanandhaa some initiative.”
‘Indian chess is individualistic’
The most damning of the verdict came when Thipsay spoke about the overall chess structure in India and underlined that the rise of Gukesh and Co has been scripted by their individual brilliance. He argued that Indian chess stars are not the product of a system like the former Russian world champions, but rather their own hard work and their families’ sacrifices.
Thipsay added that while Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi have been part of the world’s top 10, we may not get players of the same stature in the near future due to a flawed system.
“Indian chess has always been very individualistic. None of these champions has been created by a system,” Thipsay told TOI.
“Parents sacrifice careers, invest time and resources, and players build themselves through sheer dedication. Just because three players reach the top 10 today does not mean we will automatically produce three more in ten years.”
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