Yes, definitelyNo, it's the same everywhere “In Tamil Nadu, many players dedicate themselves fully to chess, often sacrificing academics. And I have seen a large trend since the COVID-19 days.

Many of Anand's peers are nowhere near the top 25. 1968 born Israeli GM Boris Gelfand is ranked 73rd with 2,652 points and 1969 born Ukranian GM Vasyl Ivanchuk is ranked 87th with a rating of 2,641.