Gukesh Dommaraju, Arjun Erigaisi, Divya Deshmukh and Harika Dronavalli (left to right) (Photo by Maria Emelianova/Chess.com) NEW DELHI: Last Sunday was International Women’s Day. Unless you’ve gone through a full digital detox, your feed has probably been buried under a mountain of Instagram stories and WhatsApp statuses celebrating the day. You probably liked a few, reciprocated a few wishes, and projected a vision of your values perfectly aligned with the item.To mark the occasion, the FIDE Women in Chess Commission (WOM) and the University of Queensland on Sunday released the Gender Equality in Chess Index (GECI) 2026. In this index, India dropped one place to 25th in the world rankings since its first edition in 2023.
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On its own, a drop of one place may not seem alarming. But in a country currently hailed as the fastest-growing chess power on the planet, this ranking points to a deeper structural imbalance. While there are certainly lower-performing countries on the list, questions may arise as to why India is not near the top.
What is the Chess Gender Equality Index (GECI)?
The Gender Equality in Chess Index is essentially an attempt by FIDE, the global chess body, to quantify the gender balance across federations around the world. The point of this is to measure where countries are so they can improve.“When we created the GECI in 2023, we wanted to give federations a clear, evidence-based picture of where they stand on gender equality. You can’t improve what you don’t measure,” said Grand Master (GM) David Smerdon, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland and lead author of the report.
Change in average GECI score by continent (Graphic from GECI Report 2026)
The report uses FIDE’s global rating database and youth championship participation records to create a composite score that reflects women’s participation, performance and development pathways. According to the report, there are 1,446,605 active chess players worldwide, but only 238,716 are women, meaning that overall female participation is only 16.5%.
How is ranking measured?
The GECI score is calculated using three key pillars:
- Participation – the proportion of women among active rated players in the federation. (The closer this number is to 50%, the more balanced the ratio between male and female players is)
- Power – difference in power between men and women based on average Elo rating.
- Progression – share of girls representing the country at international youth championships.
In the 2026 version, India’s overall GECI score is 71.04, resulting in a drop of one place to 25th globally. But when you look under the hood, the numbers tell a story of two different Indias.
India figures in 2026 GECI report
In Performance, India holds a staggering 97.49 (up from 88.31 in 2023), proving that our elite women are world class. Participation, however, lags behind at a modest 18.72, and Progress, the next-gen metric, saw a slight decline to 49.09.Metrics suggest that while India is phenomenal in producing top-ranked female players, the wider ecosystem is still struggling to get girls onto the board and keep them there.
Where is India lacking?
From Viswanathan Anand inspiring a generation to teenage divas dominating global tournaments, the country now boasts more than 90 grandmasters. Yet in a country of over a billion people, only four women have achieved the highest chess title and become a GM.As GM Harika Dronavalli explained, the problem starts long before players reach the elite level. “Girls are not pushed to pursue ambitious goals like boys. The talent is definitely there, but societal expectations often clip their wings early,” she told TimesofIndia.com.The decline is particularly visible during adolescence. Coach GM Srinath Narayanan, who has worked with several of India’s top female players, says many promising girls leave the game between the ages of 13 and 15.“Girls in India often face more pressure to prioritize academics or domestic responsibilities over sports. Chess requires sustained investment, time, travel and coaching, and families may be hesitant to support girls in such a career long-term,” he explained.
New additions to the GECI 2026 report
Even those who remain in the system face structural problems. International Master (IM) Vantika Agrawal reiterates that competing at the international level, which is a crucial step towards attaining Grand Master standards, is much more difficult for female players.“It’s financially demanding to play a lot of tournaments abroad,” she said. “Female players don’t have many opportunities to play with stronger female players, which stunts their growth. And our society is still male-dominated. Women don’t get equal opportunities and support.”Young girls often compete in female-only events rather than stronger open sections, limiting exposure to tougher opposition during key developmental years.
What can India do to improve and close the gap?
India’s veteran grandmaster Pravin Thipsay recently spoke on this website about the reality of “individualism” in the Indian chess ecosystem.“There is no system in Indian chess that produces champions. It is basically the efforts of parents and players who are there. Players have spent a lot of time and energy and parents have sacrificed their careers; only then some have become champions,” he further said.“Just because three players are doing well, it doesn’t mean that in five years we will have another three or five players doing the same. We can’t say it’s like a Soviet school where one champion goes and another comes. Even in China, they have a continuous chain of players, especially among women. Whenever one generation is no longer strong, another generation has already passed. Those are the things that don’t happen here; what doesn’t happen here; what happens in It doesn’t happen to us; what we have ourselves.”While some prominent individuals helped sow the seeds of chess culture in India, this growth remained confined to certain parts of the nation rather than the expanding basin of India. And the movement may not reach its full potential without the direct intervention of the All India Chess Federation (AICF). But how do they achieve this?
There is no system in Indian chess that produces champions. Basically, the efforts of parents and players are in place.
GM Pravin Thipsay
The GECI framework itself offers clues to the solution.First, women’s participation must increase at the grassroots level. Even a modest increase in the percentage of girls playing chess would significantly boost the talent pool.Second, exposure to stronger competition is essential. Coaches say talented girls should be encouraged to play in open events early in their careers.Third, the ecosystem needs financial support, from travel grants and sponsorships to structured training programs designed specifically for aspiring female players.
The biggest movements in the 2026 GECI report
Overall, the UAE plan mentioned in the 2026 GECI report could prove to be highly effective.The United Arab Emirates climbed 73 places in the rankings, from 77th last year to 4th now, largely thanks to a dramatic increase in the number of girls sent to youth championships. The country increased the participation of women in youth delegations from 12.5% to 43.75% in the “progress” indicator, showing how targeted policy decisions can quickly change representation.The UAE, supported by its Ministry of Sports and National Councils, has institutionalized women’s chess through a dedicated network of seven chess clubs with dedicated girls-only sections and two girls-only clubs. They also introduced mandatory representation of women in their governing body.By providing logistical support to families and including women in leadership roles such as Secretary General Dr. Maliha Mahmoud Al Mazmi, the federation created a sustainable professional channel.READ ALSO: India gets 93rd CEO. Mother Quits for Chess – Aarav Dengla’s shoot influenced by D Gukesh and Arjun ErigaisiIn addition, the system is anchored by a year-round competition calendar for girls, from events at the school level to national championships for all age categories. Outside of the board, the federation has also invested in the inclusion of women international and national arbitrators.The lesson for India is simple. As the data shows, the country already has talent. Now it needs a system to keep girls in the game long enough to create a sustainable development model.
