
Struggles of Indian Chess Players in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships
Indian chess has witnessed meteoric rise in recent years with the emergence of a new generation of prodigies like Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, Gukesh D, and Praggnanandhaa dominating the Classical chess scene.
Gukesh, in particular, made history by becoming the World Classical Chess Champion. However, this success in Classical chess has not directly translated to faster formats like Rapid and Blitz as has been seen in their performances at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships.
No Indian player, after the legendary Viswanathan Anand, has ever managed to win a World Rapid or Blitz Championship.
This year too, as Magnus Carlsen remains the favorite to clinch the title yet again, Indians continue to struggle in making a real difference in these formats. Let’s analyze why that is and go through their ratings and performance across formats.
Ratings Across Formats
To understand the disparity in performances, we first need to look at the ratings of some prominent Indian players in Classical, Rapid, and Blitz formats. Ratings serve as a quantitative measure of a player’s strength and consistency.
Rating Table
Player | Classical Rating | Rapid Rating | Blitz Rating |
---|---|---|---|
Arjun Erigaisi | 2728 | 2695 | 2650 |
Nihal Sarin | 2712 | 2678 | 2663 |
Gukesh D | 2750 | 2685 | 2640 |
Praggnanandhaa | 2710 | 2660 | 2625 |
Observations
1. Classical Superiority: All these players have significantly higher ratings in Classical chess compared to Rapid and Blitz.
2. Rapid and Blitz Lag: The drop in ratings is most pronounced in the Blitz format, indicating potential issues with adapting to faster time controls.
Visualizing the Disparity
To better understand the differences, we can use a bar graph to compare their ratings across formats.
Graph Explanation:
The graph will show three bars for every player-one for Classical, one for Rapid, and one for Blitz. The heights of the bars will signify their ratings; so this decline with regards to the format across time would be quite apparent.

Reasons for Underperformance
1. Playing Style
Indian child prodigies have tended to favor deep calculations and positional precision, qualities which serve well for Classical chess. Rapid and Blitz, however, require:
1. Faster decisions.
2. Instinctive moves rather than calculated precision.
Switching to faster formats calls for a different mindset, which is not quite in their natural way of training.
2. Experience Gap
Magnus Carlsen and all other experienced players have a couple of years of experience in playing Rapid and Blitz tournaments, that often they play in events like Chess960 and online formats. Indian players, despite their talent, may not gain adequate exposure to top Rapid and Blitz competition, which will affect their ability to perform under time pressure.
3. Mental Stamina and Time Management
The faster formats test a player’s capacity to handle severe time pressures and yet not lose accuracy. This may cause:
1. Critical blunders.
2. Less-than-ideal time management strategies.
For example, endgame specialists like Nihal Sarin would not be able to express themselves to the best of their abilities in Blitz games due to lack of time.
4. Specific Training
Indian players have heavily invested in Classical chess training. Rapid and Blitz need special preparation, including:
1. Practice games under time controls.
2. Techniques on developing intuition and playing the clock.
Wider Trends and the Future
Magnus Carlsen’s Supremacy
The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships have been the almost exclusive preserve of Magnus Carlsen. His adaptability, experience, and intuitive style make him the perennial favorite. For the Indian players to break the monopoly, they need to develop similar versatility.
Bodes Well
Despite the current challenges, there are reasons to be hopeful about the future:
1. Youth Advantage: Players like Nihal Sarin and Praggnanandhaa are still in their teens, with ample time to refine their skills.
2. Increased Opportunities: With the rise of online chess platforms, Indian players have greater access to Rapid and Blitz tournaments for practice.
3. Mentoring: The legacy of Viswanathan Anand and support from the All India Chess Federation (AICF) can help bridge the gap in faster formats.
The struggles of Indian players in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships reflect unique demands of these formats.
While players like Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, Gukesh, and Praggnanandhaa have shown exceptional talent in Classical chess, moving to Rapid and Blitz requires a change in playing style, mental stamina, and specific training.
With time and effort, this new generation of Indian players has the potential to make their mark on the global stage in all formats. For now, the challenge remains—to learn, adapt, and strive for greatness in the world of Rapid and Blitz chess.