Legendary chess grandmaster Susan Polgar has praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his continued encouragement of Indian chess, following teenage prodigy D Gukesh’s sensational win over world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament.

Polgar, who has played a key role in mentoring young Indian chess talents over the years, reshared PM Modi’s congratulatory post on Gukesh’s victory and offered rare appreciation for a world leader’s engagement with the chess community. She recalled a personal moment from 2022 when Modi sent her a letter acknowledging her contributions to Indian chess.

"A few years ago, I received this from Prime Minister Modi for my work with Indian students... I did not ask for it but appreciated his gesture," she posted on X , attaching a copy of the letter.

Susan also posed a thought-provoking question: “Are there leaders of nations who tweet about their chess players? I only know of one other, Javier Milei, tweeting about Faustino Oro.”

Her comments came in the backdrop of Gukesh's back-to-back wins first over Carlsen and then over compatriot Arjun Erigaisi which have cemented his place among the rising global chess elite. Although Gukesh faced a setback in Round 8 against Hikaru Nakamura, he remains a top contender as the Norway Chess tournament nears its end. The combination of Gukesh's stunning performance and PM Modi's vocal support has drawn widespread attention, symbolizing a new era for Indian chess on the global stage one backed not just by coaches and players, but also by political leadership.