# Hikaru Nakamura: Viswanathan Anand is godfather of Indian chess 2026-08-13T03:17:41+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Hikaru Nakamura has hailed Viswanathan Anand as the 'godfather' of Indian chess, saying the legend 'started it all.' Speaking to Hindustan Times at the Esports World Cup in Paris, Nakamura noted that before Anand, there was only one Indian player in the global scene. Now, young stars like Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and Nihal Sarin have emerged, creating a deep bench that includes several 2600-rated talents. Nakamura acknowledged that Indian grandmasters have struggled recently, with only Arjun showing consistency at the Chess World Cup and missing the Candidates. But he dismissed it as a red flag, pointing out that Gukesh is the youngest world champion and that players like Prag are playing well. He also credited India's positive view of chess as a career path for the boom. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: Esports World Cup, Gukesh, Hikaru Nakamura, Indian chess, Praggnanandhaa, Viswanathan Anand Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/hikaru-nakamura-viswanathan-anand-is-godfather-of-indian-chess/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/hikaru-nakamura-viswanathan-anand-is-godfather-of-indian-chess/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.