The Sunday Read: The perfect gambit

With spotlight on chess like never before, B’lureans all set to make right moves from the start

India recently experienced a golden moment when we made history with a double gold win at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest. But for chess lovers across the nation, it was a pure platinum hour.

Never before has there been such jubilation, such excitement and such a rush to chess centres to master the game. Sports talent firms are eager to sign up young players, with sponsorship deals while scouts actively search for the next rising chess stars.

Bengaluru is not far behind and is also riding the wave of enthusiasm. Today, the fervour is at an all time high as the city gears up to nurture grandmasters who can take the world by storm.

We caught up with a number of chess enthusiasts in the city to find out how Bengaluru is responding to this historic win…

Renewed enthusiasm
Sahana Kulkarni, Chief Operating Officer, Chess Klub says, “This win is truly an inspiration and has sparked renewed enthusiasm within our community! We are witnessing an extraordinary rise in interest in the game, with an increase in chessboard sales and heightened enthusiasm from both seasoned players and newcomers.”

According to Sahana, this win will open up even more career opportunities for chess enthusiasts and academies. “We’ve already noticed a significant spike in membership inquiries and a growing interest in learning chess, especially from young players who are eager to emulate our Olympiad heroes. We’ve introduced specialised training programs focused on tournament preparation. More young players are now competing in local and national level tournaments.”

What will happen next?
Raunak Sodhani, a chess coach and expert player, who has been conducting tournaments and training students for several years, is excited about the advancements in Indian chess this season.

“I expect increased involvement from corporates and individuals in identifying and sponsoring young talent early in their careers,” he says. “For example, in 2022, a certain quantitative trading firm signed a five-year sponsorship deal worth $1.5 million with Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi. Arjun performed so well that he won an individual gold on Board 3 in this Olympiad. I envision the kind of dominance by our players as West Indies and Australia had over world cricket.”

A New Era of Chess

Priyanka J, a franchisee of Chess Klub in Electronic City is equally delighted over the gold victories. “I see tremendous potential for chess in India,” she says. “I am also happy that people are recognising other sports beyond cricket in India, and realising that each game has huge potential because of the talent we have in our country. Every house has a chess player, every house has a hockey player, so it is about giving those talents and those kids that platform to learn and inculcate skills in the game in an organised way.”

Student-speak

Young players are also practising their chess games with passion and dedication. Ahaan Pathak, Standard 7 student of Delhi Public School, shares, “I usually practise chess for 3-4 hours on weekends and attend classroom coaching twice a week. These classes have helped me improve my rating and get selected in the school U-14 team. There is a lot of competition even among our players who are as young as 5-6 old. I am confident that our country will now continue to dominate the world of chess with a new lineup of champions.”

How to become a champion

“Becoming a champion requires years of dedicated practice, mental discipline, and strategic thinking,” Sahana emphasises. “While timelines vary, many grandmasters begin playing in childhood, honing their skills for 10-15 years or more.”

Her Chess club was founded with the vision of making chess more accessible and exciting for all ages. “We want to create the world’s best chess eco-system. Today, we have a vibrant community of over 3,300 members.”

Hopes and suggestions

Raunak, who conducts 28-30 group classes in a week, expects the movement to grow. “I believe more companies will bring on Olympiad winning players as brand ambassadors for their products and services.”

He also has some recommendations for the government. “State and central authorities should provide greater support to the All India Chess Federation and state associations to organise bigger tournaments. We need state-of-the-art venues across the country to host these competitions.”

I usually practise chess for 3-4 hours on weekends and attend classroom coaching twice a week. These classes have helped me improve my rating and get selected in the school U-14 team–Ahaan Pathak, Class 7 student

Sahana and other chess pioneers who have invested in the game by establishing clubs, coaching centres and franchises, are equally committed. “Our future plans include expanding our centres, hosting more tournaments, and collaborating with schools to introduce chess at an early age,” says Sahana.

It is clear that chess enthusiasts across the city are excited to be a part of this growing movement to instil the love of chess in everyone with a dream and anyone who believes that the sky’s the limit for a young chess player in India.