In a symbolic and touching moment for Indian chess, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand made the ceremonial first move in the all-Indian Superbet Chess Classic match between Grandmasters D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa on Wednesday. The presence of Anand, India’s first world chess champion, at the board between Gukesh and Pragg, also marked a symbolic rise of India as a global chess powerhouse.

Gukesh, the top-seeded player at the Superbet Classic, took on fellow Indian R Praggnanandhaa, with an opportunity to cross the 2800 rating mark for the first time in his career. The tournament, starting Wednesday, is the first event under classical chess in the Grand Chess Tour this year.

"Former World Champion Vishy Anand made the first symbolic move, 1.Nf3, in the game between two Indian players, Gukesh and Pragg. Gukesh then moved the knight back and chose 1.d4 instead. It was a beautiful moment to see a legend like Anand making the first move in a clash between the new generation of Indian chess stars!" - revealed organisers on social media.

WATCH: The Moment

Gukesh, ranked third in the world on ratings, will have his task cut out as all nine Tour participants compete in the first tournament together. The wild card has been awarded to Deac Bogdan-Daniel as part of the host country.

Grand Chess Tour Notable Competitors:

Fabiano Caruana (USA) – World No. 2, a decade-long presence at the top

Gukesh Dommaraju (India) – reigning World Champion and youngest in history to claim the title

Alireza Firouzja (France) – World No. 3 and 2024 GCT Champion

Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) – World No. 4 and one of the sport’s brightest young stars

Wesley So, Levon Aronian, R Praggnanandhaa, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – all seasoned champions

Bogdan Daniel Deac (Romania) – the local wildcard and Romania’s highest-ranked player

Along with Anand, Garry Kasparov and Augusta Dragic opened the second stage of the Grand Chess Tour 2025 in Bucharest.

“The world may be changing, but some things only get better. I want to thank the Superbet Foundation for their commitment and for standing by the Grand Chess Tour – and for their drive to bring chess to more and more countries. This year we’ve added Brazil to our roster, which is a big step. That we’ve reached this milestone tells me that chess has found the place it deserves. Throughout my career, I’ve wanted the game to be fully recognized as part of modern society. Thanks to the Superbet Foundation and the Saint Louis Chess Club, that vision has become a reality. Ten years in, we’re closing one chapter – and opening a new one,” said Garry Kasparov during the ceremony.

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