FIDE Excellence Awards shortlists: Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Divya Deshmukh lead strong Indian show

R Praggnanandhaa, D Gukesh and Divya Deshmukh (PTI/ANI Photos) India’s dominance in world chess has received another major boost as reigning world champion D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh lead a strong Indian contingent in the shortlist for the inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards.The International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Friday unveiled the nominees for the biennial, with Indian players, teams and national federations receiving recognition in several categories. The awards will be presented in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in conjunction with the 46th September Chess Olympiad. Established earlier this year, the FIDE Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding achievements over a two-year cycle, with the first edition covering performances from September 2024 to August 2026.

Indians feature prominently in major award categories

India has the largest representation in the Best Chess Player categories.World Champion Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi were all nominated for the Best Chess Player (Male) award. They will face some of the biggest names in world chess, including world number one Magnus Carlsen, Fabian Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Nodirbek Abdusatorov, Vincent Keymer and Javokhir Sindarov.The women’s category also boasts a strong Indian presence. World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh, two-time world rapid champion Koneru Humpy and Women’s Candidates winner R Vaishali are among the 10 nominees, along with world champion Ju Wenjun, Tan Zhongyi, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Lei Tingjie, Anna Muzychuk, Bibisara Assaubayeva and Zhu Jiner.Gukesh and Divya were also honored in the Best Breakthrough (Newcomer of the Year) category after their remarkable rise on the global stage. Gukesh became the youngest ever world champion in classical style, while Divya claimed the Women’s World Cup title to establish herself among the sport’s brightest young stars.India’s veteran grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna is the next Indian in contention after getting a nomination in the Best Comeback category.

Also recognized by AICF, Teams India and ChessBase India Foundation

India’s influence goes 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 several other countries.India’s Open and women’s national teams also secured nominations in the Best Team category, reflecting the country’s continued success in elite international competitions.ChessBase India Foundation, which has played a significant role in popularizing chess and nurturing talent across the country, has been named among the nominees for the Best Chess Initiative award.In the category Best chess player with a disability, the Indian Jennitha Anto also appears in the final shortlist.According to FIDE, all nominees were selected by the FIDE Excellence Awards Jury following a public nomination process held during June.“In each of the eleven award categories, comprising six regular categories and five optional categories, there are 10 nominees selected by the FIDE Excellence Awards jury. The jury is appointed by the FIDE President in consultation with the FIDE Governing Council and the FIDE Excellence Awards Working Group,” the governing body said.The selection process will now move to the awards selection panel, which will review the shortlisted nominees and vote to determine the winners in all 11 categories before the ceremony in Samarkand in September.

Complete lists of FIDE Excellence Awards:

Best Chess Player (Male): Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Fabiano Caruana, Magnus Carlsen, Arjun Erigaisi, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Gukesh Dommaraju, Vincent Keymer, R Praggnanandhaa, Javokhir SindarovBest Chess Player (Female): Bibisara Assaubayeva, Divya Deshmukh, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Koneru Humpy, Lei Tingjie, Anna Muzychuk, Tan Zhongyi, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Ju Wenjun, Zhu JinerBest tournament (open): Abu Dhabi Chess Festival, Aeroflot Open, Dubai Open, Grenke Freestyle Chess Open, Open Chess Menorca, Prague International Chess Festival Open, Qatar Masters Open, Reykjavik Open, Sharjah Masters, US Open Chess ChampionshipBest tournament (tournament): Biel Chess Festival, Cairns Cup, Grand Chess Tour, London Chess Classic, Norwegian Chess, Prague International Chess Festival, Sinquefield Cup, Tata Steel Chess Tournament, TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament, UzChess CupTop Federations: Chinese Chess Federation, Colombian Chess Federation, Georgian Chess Federation, All India Chess Federation, Italian Chess Federation, Kazakhstan Chess Federation, Chess Kenya, Chess Federation of Serbia, Turkish Chess Federation, Uzbekistan Chess FederationBest 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, The Gift of ChessBest Team: Ashdod Elite Chess Club, China (Open and Women’s National Teams), Dragon Chilling, Hexamind Chess Team, India (Open and Women’s National Teams), Kazakhstan (Open and Women’s National Teams), MGD1 Team, United States (Open National Team), Uzbekistan (Open National Team), WR Chess TeamBest Breakthrough (Rookie of the Year): Divya Deshmukh, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, Faustino Oro, Gukesh Dommaraju, Anastasiia Hnatyshyn, Vincent Keymer, Volodar Murzin, Javokhir Sindarov, Andy Woodward, Zhu JinerBest comeback: Levon Aronian, Fabiano Caruana, Ding Liren, Vladimir Fedoseev, Pentala Harikrishna, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Parham Maghsoodloo, Anna Muzychuk, Tan Zhongyi, Wei YiBest chess player with a handicap: Jennitha Anto, Artom Andriienko, Griffin McConnell, Jamal Messala, Natasha Morales Santos, Lukasz Nowak, Jesus Osorio, Handenur Sahin, Marcin Tazbir, Jessica LauserTop Creators: Alexandra Botez and Andrea Botez, Anna Cramling, ChessBase India, ChessBrah, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Leontxo García, Hikaru Nakamura, Levy Rozman, Sagar Shah, Simon Williams