For 37 years, Indian chess has had one unwavering fixed: the legendary GM Viswanathan Anand is king. With the discharge of FIDE’s latest official rating list on Friday, that has now modified. There is a brand new child on the block.

GM Gukesh D, the 17-year-old prodigy from Anand’s house metropolis of Chennai, had already overtaken his mentor in the live ratings, however after September’s record was finalized on Friday it turned official. Gukesh, Anand’s protege born 20 years after he first turned number-one, is the brand new prime canine.

The teenager additionally now sits at number-eight on the planet rankings with a FIDE ranking of 2758. Anand, in the meantime, has a ranking of 2754 and is one place beneath Gukesh on the world record.

Anand first took India’s prime spot method again in January 1986—the month NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated after launch—with a ranking of 2405, overtaking his rival and pal IM Dibyendu Barua. From that time on he by no means appeared again. A yr later Anand turned India’s first GM, whereas Barua achieved the title in 1991.

Anand went on to turn out to be FIDE champion from 2000-2002 earlier than claiming the undisputed title in 2007 and holding it for six years till he was defeated by GM Magnus Carlsen in 2013. By then, Anand was 43 years previous, however his chess profession was removed from over and his reign on the prime of Indian chess continued unbroken.

Only as soon as throughout these 37 years span did Anand seem near dropping his official number-one spot. In March 2016, GM Pentala Harikrishna turned the Indian number-one on the live rating list, however didn’t maintain that place lengthy sufficient to make the official, revealed record.

In the run-up to those newest scores being launched, Anand spoke to IM Tania Sachdev for the 2023 Julius Baer Generation Cup broadcast concerning the prospect of handing over the reins to Gukesh.

He mentioned: “I really feel very proud, and undoubtedly I used to be in a position to give Gukesh numerous ideas, numerous recommendation. I’m probably not his coach, however I interacted with him at lot and issues like that. With Pragg as nicely I’ve interacted fairly a bit.

“Clearly, they have their own long-suffering parents,” he joked. “They have their coaches, things like that, but we’re able to chip in so I feel very proud.”

It’s nonetheless a shock to understand that one thing you anticipated to occur finally, and also you by no means outline finally in your thoughts, finally means finally, when it lastly occurs.

– GM Viswanathan Anand

Anand added that he has been ready for a very long time for this to occur. “And that’s the thing about being semi-retired, that you’re much more detached from it personally. But it’s still a shock to realise that something you expected to happen eventually, and you never define eventually in your mind, eventually means eventually, when it finally happens. You feel funny in your own skin, let’s put it that way.”

Watch Anand’s full interview right here:

Tania went to Chennai to go to @vishy64theking‘s house 🏠 #ChessChamps pic.twitter.com/PJgW2VIOFq

— Champions Chess Tour (@ChampChessTour) August 31, 2023

As for Gukesh, who turned a grandmaster in 2019 aged simply 12 years and 7 months, this achievement has been a very long time coming. The prodigy has been beneath Anand’s wing for the final two years and in July turned the youngest participant in historical past to have a printed ranking above 2750. It got here after he beat Anand of their first-ever event encounter, on day three of the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2023.

The newest FIDE ranking record reveals the resurgence of chess in India. Three different Indians occupy spots on the planet’s prime 30: the latest World Cup finalist GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who gained 20 factors to achieve the world’s prime 20 for the primary time, GM Vidit Gujrathi, and GM Arjun Erigaisi.

GM Fabiano Caruana (2786) gained 4 factors to maneuver forward of fellow American GM Hikaru Nakamura (2780), regaining the number-two spot behind Carlsen, who additionally gained 4 factors to rise to 2839. GM Wesley So misplaced 16 factors to hunch from eighth on the planet to 10 on the record.

Meanwhile, there was additionally a altering of the guard in England’s rankings. The Russian-born GM Nikita Vitiugov now occupies the highest spot after transferring his registration from the Chess Federation of Russia to the English Chess Federation.

Vitiugov, the 2021 Russian champion, instantly overtakes GM David Howell and sits at world quantity 25 with a ranking of 2719. Howell, the three-time British champion, mentioned on the platform X:

I’ve been deposed 😅 Was enjoyable whereas it lasted!
Welcome to England, Nikita 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Let’s do nice issues collectively 💪 https://t.co/FfbSDqxMXY

— David Howell (@DavidHowellGM) August 29, 2023

Howell has been battling the veteran GM Michael Adams for the highest spot for years. Now Vitiugov has leap-frogged them each—one other large increase for English chess, coming quickly after a recent government investment within the sport.