FORGET about Russia, China and India. The future of chess belongs to . . . Poland.

That was the verdict of the World Youth Championships last month in Crete.

Polish youngsters took first prize in the boys’ and girls’ under-18 section and in the girls’ under-12.

They also took second prize in the girls’ under-16, tied for second in the girls’ under-10, and for fifth in the boys’ under-10.

The best showing of the 24 Americans who went to Heraklio was by Daniel Ludwig, who tiede for fourth prize in the boys’ under-14 section.

The Polish entrants were also in contention for top prizes in the World Junior Championship, which ended earlier this month in Cochin, India.

Poland hasn’t been a major power in world chess since the 1930s. But it could be a medal winner in team competition by the end of the decade.

Poland finished 12th in the recently completed Olympiad at Calvia, Spain – and only one of its six team members is over age 27. The Polish team tied for ninth place in the women’s division.

In this week’s game, 60-year-old Vitaly Tseshkovky, playing perhaps the game of his life, missed a brilliant chance to defeat Garry Kasparov with 28 Qg6!, threatening 29 Rg3. Kasparov went on to win the event, his first Russian Championship.