Gukesh and Vaishali in Forbes India Showstoppers 2022-23 Top 50 list

by Shahid Ahmed - 08/01/2023

44th Chess Olympiad individual Gold and team Bronze medal winner, GM D Gukesh had a phenomenal year in 2022. The youngest GM of India won a series of tournaments in Spain while remaining undefeated. He became the youngest Indian GM to cross 2700 and break into World Top 100. The unforgettable start of 8/8 at the Olympiad on top board is surreal. He also won the Spanish Honor League for C A Solvay along with Harikrishna. Gukesh also achieved the feat of the youngest ever to beat Magnus Carlsen. IM Vaishali R also had a fantastic year. She won both individual and team Bronze at the Olympiad, made her presence felt at her FIDE Women's GP debut, scored her second GM-norm and finished the year with a historical victory at the first edition of Tata Steel Chess India 2022 Women Blitz. Photo: Forbes India

Gukesh and Vaishali among India's Top 50 Outperformers

Statistically, both GM D Gukesh and IM Vaishali R had a fantastic 2022. From 2614 to 2725, outside of World Top 100 to World no.24 is absolutely astounding. Vaishali scored her second GM-norm, won double Bronze at the 44th Chess Olympiad and finished the year with a monumental victory at the first-ever Tata Steel Chess India 2022 Women Blitz. Forbes India acknowledging Gukesh and Vaishali's fantastic performance in 2022 is surely going to give them a huge boost in confidence for their performance in 2023.

GM D Gukesh and IM Vaishali R among the Forbes India Showstoppers 2022-23 Top 50 Outperformers | Photo: Forbes India

We have already covered Gukesh and Vaishali's all achievements and performances of 2022 in great detail. So check out each performance in the links given below.

Gukesh's performance in 2022

• Runner-up at MPL 58th National Senior 2022

• Runner-up at 19th Delhi GM Open 2022

• Champion at 48th La Roda Open 2022

• 15-year-old Gukesh becomes the youngest Indian ever to break into World Top 100

• Gukesh marvels at 1st Menorca Open, now World no.80

• Gukesh scores a hat-trick by winning Chessable Sunway Formentera Open, now World no.66

• Gukesh dominates 14th Gijon City Closed, now World no.41

• Youngest Indian to cross 2700 at Biel Chess Festival 2022

• Second Runner-up at 55th Biel GMT (Grandmaster Triathlon) 2022

• 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 R8: India vanquishes USA, Gukesh now India #2 and World #20

• Gukesh wins team Bronze for India and Individual Gold on Board #1 ahead of Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Magnus Carlsen at 44th Chess Olympiad 2022

• Gukesh continues his meteoric rise, now World no.18

• Gukesh and Harikrishna clinch Spanish Honor League for C A Solvay

• Aimchess Rapid R9-12: Gukesh becomes the youngest ever to win against the World Champion Carlsen

Vaishali's performance in 2022

• Vaishali triumphs at 8th Fischer Memorial 2022, scores her second GM-norm

• Vaishali wins Team Bronze for India and Individual Bronze on Board #3 at 44th Chess Olympiad

• Vaishali makes an impressive debut at FIDE Womens' GP in Astana, Kazakhstan

• Vaishali clinches Tata Steel Chess India 2022 Women Blitz convincingly, Harika third

What's next?

Both Gukesh and Vaishali skipped World Rapid and Blitz 2022 to give themselves a much-needed rest, prepare and get ready for one of their biggest opportunities coming up at Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands at the 85th Tata Steel Chess tournament 2023. The Wimbledon of Chess is starting from 13th January.