A game which was seen at best as a pastime even 30 years back, piqued the nation's curiosity thanks to the exploits of one Viswanathan Anand in the early years of the new millennium, and has now become one of the most followed sports in the country.
Internet's influence, the rise of the new generation of players, consistent success... chess in India is rocking.
So much so that in 2024 the country has given two world champions in a span of 16 days! Dommaraju Gukesh, just 18, became the youngest world champion in the classical format and Koneru Humpy, 37 and a mother, outwitted her rivals to bag the World Rapid Championship.
There are more. India triumphed in the Chess Olympiad where both the men s and women's teams came first and Arjun Erigaisi touched the much-coveted 2800 Elo mark, the country's first after Anand.
"It's the best year," Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan, the captain of the men s team in the Chess Olympiad, told The Telegraph. "Mindblowing but not unexpected," agreed senior pro and GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly.
The game of 64 squares has become so popular that Magnus Carlsen had to make a back-door exit from the venue during a recent chess tournament in the city. Reason? Around 200 fans had jammed the front gate chanting the Norwegian superstar's name. Two weeks back hundreds turned up at the Chennai airport to welcome Gukesh.
These things were unheard of even a few years back. Now Gukesh, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Arjun have thousands of followers on social media and each of their posts creates a buzz.
"Just the beginning. The new generation will dominate the chess scene for quite a few years," Srinath was bullish. "The years of hard work have started to pay off. Their success is the real sign of progress," Surya concurred.
"Someone like Humpy. She is 37, and a mother. What she has achieved deserves a standing ovation. She remained focused on the task," Surya added.
Amidst all the success, there is one blip. This year India has produced only one grandmaster in P. Shyaamnikhil of Chennai, the lowest number in recent times.
"There is nothing to worry about. There are some more who are on the verge of earning the title," Srinath reasoned. "What matters is how many do we have at the top level," was Surya’s point of view.
If chess has given its aficionados a high, Manu Bhaker saved India's face at the Olympic Games. In the build-up THE YEAR T to the Paris Games, the spin doctors had created a hype on India's chance of going to the double figures in the medals tally.
Yes, India, thanks to continuous and seamless backing from the government, has improved in Olympic sports by leaps and bounds. But that does not mean that other nations were THAT WAS twiddling their thumbs.
Had Manu not performed the way she did in Paris, it could have been worse for India. The shooter, who had left Tokyo Games in tears three years back, first bagged the bronze medal in 10m air pistol event and then teamed up with Sarabjot Singh to win another bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team. She is the first Indian athlete of the post-independence era to claim two Olympic medals.
"Yet to sink in," she had said after the second medal.
Overnight she was the darling of the nation and her stocks rose. Showered with adulations and cash bonanzas -- deservingly of course -- Manu is now a much sought-after sportsperson in the country.
India could not replicate its Tokyo performance as it finished 71st in the medals tally. World javelin champion Neeraj Chopra bagged a silver, shooter Swapnil Kusale and wrestler Aman Sehrawat won bronze.
There was a bronze in hockey too for the second consecutive time.
More than the medals, the Paris Games for India was a story of heartbreaks.
India missed out on as many as six medals, finishing fourth -- Manu herself in 25m air pistol, Arjun Babuta and Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka (also in shooting), Laskhya Sen (badminton), Mirabai Chanu (weight- lifting), Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara (mixed team archery). "It will take time to get over this. When I see our medal winners on television or social media, that ‘Oh I could have also won feeling always crosses my mind. I guess that’s how sports is. This setback has steeled my nerves and will help me to work hard for bigger goals," Ankita had told The Telegraph at her residence a few months back.
She had taken a brief break from archery after three years of non-stop preparation for Paris. "Now onwards, focus is on the next Games and I will give my all to bring a medal for my country," she promised.
If the slew of fourth-placed finishes were not enough, wrestler Vinesh Phogat's disqualification ahead of a historic final added to India's woes. Vinesh, participating in the 50kg category, was found to be 100g over the weight limit and subsequently disqualified. That was hours before her fight for the gold medal against Sarah Hildebrandt of the US.
One of the leading faces of the protest against the now-ousted Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP strongman Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, Vinesh returned empty-handed despite putting up a fantastic performance en route to the final. Paris was a big let-down.