R Prajanananda, D Gokesh, Divya Deshmukh (PTI/ANI Images)
India’s dominance in world chess has found another major endorsement, with world champions D Gokesh, R Prajanananda and Women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh leading a strong Indian contingent in the shortlist for the inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards.The International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Friday revealed the nominees for the biennial awards, with Indian players and teams and the national federation receiving recognition in several categories. The awards will be presented in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in conjunction with the 46th Chess Olympiad in September.
Established earlier this year, the FIDE Awards celebrate outstanding achievements over a two-year cycle, with the inaugural edition covering performances from September 2024 to August 2026.
Indians feature prominently across the major award categories
India’s largest representation comes in the Best Chess Player categories.World champions Gokesh, R Pragnanananda and Arjun Erejesi have all been shortlisted for the Best Chess Player (Male) award. They will compete against some of the biggest names in the chess world, including world number one Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Noderbek Abdustarov, Vincent Kemmer and Djavokhir Sindarov.The women’s category also boasts a strong Indian presence.
World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh, two-time world speed champion Koneru Hampi and women’s favorites winner R Vaishali are among the 10 nominees alongside world champion Gu Wenjun, Tan Zhongyi, Alexandra Goryachkina, Li Tingjie, Anna Muzychuk, Bibisara Asaobayeva and Zhou Jenner.Jokesh and Divya were also honored in the Best Breakthrough (Rookie of the Year) category after their remarkable rise on the global stage.
Jokish became the youngest ever World Classical Champion, while Divya took the Women’s World Cup title to establish herself among the sport’s brightest young stars.Veteran Indian guru Pentala Harikrishna is another Indian in the running after bagging a nomination in the Best Comeback category.
AICF, Teams India and ChessBase India Foundation were also recognised
India’s influence extends beyond individual players.The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has been shortlisted for the Best Federation award along with leading chess bodies from China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and many other countries.The Indian Open and women’s national teams also received a nomination in the Best Team category, reflecting the country’s continued success across elite international competitions.ChessBase India Foundation, which has played an important role in popularizing the game of chess and nurturing talent across the country, has been selected among the nominees for the Best Chess Initiative Award.In the category of best chess player with a disability, Indian Jinitha Anto also appeared in the final list.According to the FIDE, all nominees were selected by the FIDE Excellence Awards jury following a public nomination process that took place throughout June.The governing body said: “Each of the 11 award categories, consisting of six regular and five discretionary categories, includes 10 nominees selected by the FIDE Excellence Awards Jury. The jury was appointed by the FIDE President in consultation with the FIDE Board of Directors and the FIDE Excellence Awards Working Group.”The selection process will now move to the awards selection committee, who will review the shortlisted nominees and vote to determine the winners in all 11 categories before the ceremony in Samarkand in September.
Full lists of FIDE Awards of Excellence:
Best Chess Player (Male): Noderbek Abdul Sataurov, Fabiano Caruana, Magnus Carlsen, Arjun Erejesi, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Gokesh Domaraju, Vincent Kemmer, R. Pragnanananda, Javokhir Sindarov.Best Chess Player (Female): Bibisara Asaobaeva, Divya Deshmukh, Alexandra Goryachkina, Koneru Hampi, Li Tingjie, Anna Muzychuk, Tan Zhongyi, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Gu Wenjun, Zhou JennerBest Tournament (Open): Abu Dhabi Chess Festival, Aeroflot Open, Dubai Open, Greinke Open Freestyle Chess Championship, Menorca Open Chess Championship, Prague International Chess Festival Open, Qatar Masters Open, Reykjavik Open, Sharjah Masters, US Open Chess Championship.Best Tournament (Round Robin): Bell Chess Festival, Cairns Cup, Grand Chess Tour, London Chess Classic, Norway Chess Festival, Prague International Chess Festival, Sinquefield Cup, Tata Steel Chess Championship, Tepe Sigman & Co. Chess Championship, Ozches Cup.Best Federation: Chinese Chess Federation, Colombian Chess Federation, Georgian Chess Federation, All India Chess Federation, Italian Chess Federation, Kazakh Chess Federation, Kenya Chess Federation, Serbian Chess Federation, Turkish Chess Federation, Uzbek Chess Federation.Best Chess Initiative: Armenian School Chess Program, Chess for Freedom, Chess for Protection, Chess in Schools and Communities, ChessBase India Foundation, Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI), FIDE Infinite Chess Project, Kasparov Chess Foundation Africa, Queens Online Chess Festival, Chess GiveawayBest Team: Ashdod Elite Chess Club, China (Open and Women’s National Teams), Dragon Chess, Hexamind Chess Team, India (Women’s Open and Open National Teams), Kazakhstan (Women’s Open and National Teams), MGD1 Team, USA (Open National Team), Uzbekistan (Open National Team), WR Chess Team.Breakthrough (Rookie of the Year): Divya Deshmukh, Yagiz Can Erdomos, Faustino Oro, Gokesh Domaraju, Anastasia Hnatyshin, Vincent Kemmer, Volodar Murzin, Javokhir Sindarov, Andy Woodward, Cho JennerBest Comeback: Levon Aronian, Fabiano Caruana, Ding Liren, Vladimir Fedosev, Pentala Harikrishna, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Parham Magsudlo, Anna Muzychuk, Tan Zhonghe, Wei Yi.Best female chess player with a disability: Jenitha Anto, Artom Andriyenko, Griffin McConnell, Jamal Messala, Natasha Morales Santos, Lucas Nowak, Jesus Osorio, Handinur Sahin, Marcin Tazbir, Jessica Loeser.Best Maker: Alexandra Botiz, Andrea Botiz, Anna Kraemling, ChessBase India, ChessBrah, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Leontxo Garcia, Hikaru Nakamura, Levi Roseman, Sagar Shah, Simon Williams.