India’s Chess Success- Explained Pointwise

The recent India’s Chess success is a resounding success and is making global headlines. In FIDE’s (International Chess Federation) rankings list for April 2024, there are 5 Indian men among the top 25. In the women’s ranking, there are 3 Indians among the top 15 and in junior rankings there are 7 Indians among the top 20. There has been emergence of teen chess sensations who are restless to leave the prodigy tags behind and fight the big boys.

What is Chess? What has been India’s Chess Success Over the Years?

Chess- Chess is a board game for two players. It is played on a square chessboard with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. One player controls sixteen white pieces– one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns, while the other player controls sixteen black pieces.

All India Chess Federation (AICF)- The Federation was founded in 1951 and is affiliated to Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), the world body for chess. It is responsible for player development and training & representing India in International Chess Organisations.

India’s Recent Chess Success 

These recent phenomenal achievements have prompted the Great Magnus Carlen (World’s number 1 player and five time world chess champion) to describe India as a leading chess nation in the world.

What Factors have contributed to India’s Chess Success?

1. Rapid Growth in Grassroot Base of Chess Players- There has been rapid explosion of Chess In India aided by cheap internet data packs and easily available chess apps on mobile phones. It has helped players to hone their skills online through electronic databases, analytical resources, and 24×7 chess websites.

2. Rise of Online Chess tournaments- There has been an implosion of Online tournaments in the post-pandemic era which have led to a lot of Indian youngsters taking on super grandmasters and even former world champions. These contests have been crucial in making these elite players seem less formidable.

3. Development of Chess Academies- The establishment of Chess academies like WestBridge Anand Chess Academy, have played a crucial role in nurturing young talents and providing them with guidance. The mentoring provided by the tallest chess figure in the country Vishwanathan Anand, has been instrumental in nurturing young talents.

4. New Generation of Elite Players taking up coaching roles- A generation of elite players have taken up coaching duties to help out the next generation. For ex- Grandmaster RB Ramesh coaching R Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali, GM Vishnu Prasanna coaching D Gukesh since age 11 and GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly coaching Vidit Gujrati.

5. Cash-rich franchise-style tournaments- The invention of franchise style Chess tournaments which are cash rich have also propelled Indian Chess forward. For ex- Global Chess League funded by Tech Mahindra in collaboration with FIDE, where Indian prodigies like Gukesh, Pragg have played in the same team as Magnus Carlsen.

6. Egalitarian, accessibility and high social acceptance- Chess as a game is highly accessible and is egalitarian nature with no socio-economic barriers to entry. Also, the highly cerebral nature of the game has earned it high social acceptance in India.

7. Increasing Media Coverage and Spectator Engagement- The media coverage of Chess events like Tata Steel Chess Championship and Chennai Chess Olympiad has led to enhanced spectator engagement.

What are the Challenges to further development of Chess as a sport in India?

1. Limited mainstream engagement as compared to other mainstream sports- Indian mainstream sports is dominated by Cricket, which attracts huge sponsorship, money and fame. Chess is still at a nascent stage of development for gaining popularity in India.

2. Lack of Government patronage- Chess lacks the government patronage which is provided for other sports in the form of assured government jobs in RBI, Railways, Defence sector.

3. Low Women participation- Even though the queens are the most powerful piece of the checkered squares, the Chess sports arena is mainly dominated by men. Out of the 84 Grand Masters (GMs) in India, only 3 are women. (Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli and Vaishali Rameshbabu)

4. Lack of proper Infrastructure in Rural Areas- Many parts of India, especially rural areas lack proper infrastructure for chess training and tournaments like lack of access to quality chess clubs, coaches, and training facilities.

5. Financial Constraints- Chess training and participation in tournaments is an expensive affair, which makes it inaccessible to many talented individuals from underprivileged backgrounds, to pursue the sport with zeal.

What should be the Way Forward?

1. Conducting more tournaments- Conducting world level elite tournaments like the Super Grandmaster tournament would help in producing more Grandmasters. We must also aim to scale up the TATA Chess championship.

2. Increasing the Government and corporate patronage- The government and corporate patronage must be provided in terms of jobs and sponsorships for further development of Chess in India.

3. Increasing Media Coverage- Increased media coverage of the chess championship events will help in raising the profile of chess in India. For ex- Live telecast of Chess events.

4. Providing International exposure- Providing financial support and logistical planning to Indian players to compete in international tournaments regularly is essential for their growth and development. For ex- Need more academies like WACA which is being run by Vishwanathan Anand.

5. Promoting more women in the sport- Women must be promoted in the sport by providing more female scholarships for travelling abroad and accommodation.