The multi-front conflict in the Middle East has brought about a significant geopolitical change, one that is going beyond headlines of price surges and shipping disruptions. The tactical confrontation is in the spotlight, but a much more fundamental structural realignment is taking place in the region of Eurasia. This battle has unwittingly catapulted Asia's two superpowers into a high-stakes, asymmetrical game of chess. In New Delhi, the battle is considered mainly a problem

In the 19th century, the “Great Game” was the strategic competition between the British Empire and Tsarist Russia over the domination of Central Asia. This historic competition is resurfacing in a modern form, with new players, new tools, and billions of dollars at stake. Central Asia, which had long been viewed as a geopolitical backwater, has emerged as a critical front line in the contest for supremacy among great powers. Illustration by The Geostrata Today, China, Russia,