Checkmate: How Indians mastered chess

Mumbai: In 2013, Dr Rajinikanth, an ENT surgeon, and Dr Padma, a microbiologist, introduced their seven-year-old son D. Gukesh to chess to keep him occupied while they were at work. It soon became apparent that he had a natural inclination to take on mental challenges. It also happened to be the year Chennai was hosting the World Chess Championship between the defending world champion Anand Viswanathan and Norway’s new grandmaster, Magnus Carlsen.

“He would spend hours studying and practising chess, devoting 6-8 hours a day to honing his skills,” Rajinikanth says. On 5 January 2019, Gukesh became the world’s second-youngest grandmaster at the age of 12 years, seven months and 17 days. His recent victory in the 2024 Candidates Tournament positions him as the youngest contender for the coveted title of World Chess Champion later this year, when he takes on reigning world champion Ding Liren from China.

It will also give him a chance to regain India’s pride of place, which it lost after his hero was dethroned by Carlsen back in 2013. The world championships, if anything, have historically seen underdogs topple reigning champions, as happened during the Cold War-era drama that played out in Iceland’s capital Reykjavik in 1972. That year, another upstart, the USA’s Bobby Fischer, beat reigning world champion Boris Spassky to briefly interrupt decades of Russian/Soviet domination of the world championships.

In 1984, the USSR’s Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov duelled each other in a marathon in Moscow, which was called off in controversial circumstances after failing to throw up a winner after five months and 48 games. The rematch in 1985 was again a close affair, with Kasparov eventually emerging the winner. He went on to fend off Karpov in three more world championships in perhaps the greatest rivalry the game has ever seen.

While it may not have matched the Fischer-Spassky and Kasparov-Karpov contests, the 2013 world championship final in Chennai had a profound impact on Gukesh, who watched every move with intense concentration. Eventually, Carlsen dethroned Anand in his own city with two games to spare, heralding the beginning of a new era in the world of chess. Now, Gukesh, who hails from a Telugu family settled in Chennai, has a chance to put the city on the map again.

Grandmaster Incubator

Chennai has always been uniquely positioned as a centre for chess, and the game has now spread to the rest of the country. “Gukesh’s win in the Candidates, and his participation in the World Championship later this year, will drive a lot of interest in India. It’s been a kind of snowball effect,” says Anand, India’s first grandmaster, a five-time World Chess Champion, and also a two-time Chess World Cup Champion.

The champ acknowledged that the seeds for the growth of the game in India were planted when he became a world junior champion and grandmaster. “A lot of them then took up the game and became grandmasters. When they retired, they started academies. You can see how the ecosystem has developed—the infrastructure, the talent, the coaches all started to come together, and today it has become a very competitive scene in India.”

Years before Gukesh entered the chess world, two pre-teen siblings would take an hour-long bus ride every day from Padi, a suburb of Chennai, to coach and grandmaster R.B. Ramesh’s Chess Gurukul, a two-bedroom apartment in the city’s T. Nagar locality, to learn the game. The siblings, R. Praggnanandhaa, now close to 19 and R. Vaishali, now 23, are today grandmasters and have created many records, including becoming the first-ever duo to qualify to play in the Candidates Tournament, a precursor to finding the challenger for the incumbent world chess champion.

“I started to learn the rules of chess at the age of three watching my sister playing,” Praggnanandhaa says. “She used to practise at home and I would watch. I was intrigued by the pieces on the board, and my parents got me one. I played my first state championship at the age of five.”

Like Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa was inspired by Anand. “Indian chess players are making remarkable strides. Firstly, we are all inspired by Anand sir. One memorable moment for me was when our school (Velammal Vidyalaya) went to receive Anand sir at the Chennai airport after he won the world championship,” says Praggnanandhaa. On 2 June 2012, Anand returned home after winning his fifth world title, defeating Israeli challenger Boris Gelfand in a rapid tie-break in Moscow to defend his crown. “It was a deeply inspiring experience,” recalls Praggnanandhaa, who was just 7 at the time.

In 2022, Chennai hosted the 44th Chess Olympiad with over 1,700 players, including 800 women from 186 countries. Under-18 Indian prodigies, including Nihal Sarin, Arjun Erigaisi, Raunak Sadhwani and Praggnanandhaa helped India get a podium finish at the Olympiad.

“These whizkids of Indian chess are inspiring every parent that their child could be the next Vishy Anand,” says Shruti Jain, mother of an 11-year-old learning chess in Vadodara. “Growing up, I was passionate about chess, but logistical issues deterred my working parents from taking me to classes daily. But in the case of my son, high-quality chess coaching is now available online and I’m thrilled to see his rapid progress,” she adds.

Growing Popularity

The pandemic acted as a catalyst for the growth of chess. “Yes, more of you joined in 18 months during the pandemic than in all of our first 13 years,” Chess.com posted on its official blog in December 2022. The platform saw its total users go from 25 million at the beginning of 2020 to 75 million in 2021 to over 100 million users in 2022 globally.

While Chess has been integral to Indian culture since ancient times, the sport has today gained popularity worldwide, and is played in almost 200 countries. Its popularity skyrocketed during the pandemic thanks in part to shows like ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ becoming a massive hit. A recent advertising campaign featuring famous footballers playing chess and the promotion of chess in regional TV series and movies has advanced the sport’s reach and popularity further. Social media platforms have also witnessed exponential growth in the consumption of chess content with the emergence of chess influencers.

In addition, tournaments are being organized across various schools, colleges and corporate offices. But the growth of the game hasn’t been uniform. For instance, while Chennai and a few big cities have many grandmasters and international masters coaching youngsters, other, smaller cities lack quality coaching.

Going Online

One of the things that has made chess so fun in recent years is the convenience and accessibility offered by digital platforms. Previously, one had to visit a club and arrange a game. Now, everything is instantly accessible,” said Anand. “This accessibility factor is a driving force behind increased engagement with the game. I believe that chess, coupled with the growing digitization of the world, particularly in India, will contribute significantly to its popularity, especially among the youth.”

The demand for structured learning has led to the emergence of chess academies, both online and offline, nationwide. These academies offer a structured curriculum, seasoned coaches and a nurturing community for budding chess enthusiasts.

“At Chessniti Professional Academy, our pedagogy is designed by International Master (IM) Shantanu Bhambure, a player with a peak FIDE rating of 2336. Instructors are FIDE-rated professionals. We deploy sequential learning, individual approach and most importantly, make chess a fun game to learn,” says Mithil Anande, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the year-old Chessniti Academy in Mumbai.

“For any sport to flourish, infrastructure is a fundamental prerequisite, and with the right application of technology, we have created online systems and processes that aid in high-quality learning at scale,” says Sreeraman Thiagarajan, also a co-founder of Chessniti Academy.

An Expensive Move

While playing chess for fun is one thing, aiming to become a grandmaster is an entirely different endeavour. Experts estimate that to attain the title of international master—the FIDE rank below grandmaster—a player may need to invest over ₹30 lakh per year and participate in tournaments in multiple countries. The financial commitment only increases with each level of achievement. For those aspiring to become grandmasters, without a sponsorship, annual expenses for travel, accommodation and training can range between ₹60 lakh to ₹1 crore.

Praggnanandhaa initially received support from Adani Sportline under its grassroots GarvHai programme, which later evolved into an exclusive sponsorship and talent management arrangement. “We believe in supporting athletes across sports. Praggnanandhaa has brought pride to India, and we are fully committed to backing him,” said Sanjay Adesara, chief business officer at Adani Sportline.

Similarly, as Gukesh’s talent flourished, his coach, Vijay Anand, recognised his potential and advised him to seek guidance from Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna. “We dedicated all our resources to supporting our son’s passion for chess. From 2017 to 2019, we faced financial difficulties and took loans to sustain his training and tournament participation,” Rajinikanth recalled. “Fortunately, our efforts have begun to bear fruit in the last two years, as we secured a sponsorship from Westbridge Capital and received support from WACA (Westbridge-Anand Chess Academy), which provided top-tier training at no cost.”

A Viable Profession

According to Anand, chess has evolved to become a viable profession. “Chess has long been seen as a viable career option, but its scope is expanding,” he says. Today, top chess players worldwide earn money from playing for clubs, competing in tournaments, appearance fees and sponsorships. In India, players who work for major public sector undertakings (PSUs) and governments have received significant cash rewards for their success in international events.

In the digital era, the boundaries of earning potential in the chess world are expanding. People can earn a living from chess not just as players but also as journalists, streamers, promoters, coaches and more.

Online chess platforms offer players the chance to earn money by participating in tournaments and winning cash prizes. Additionally, players can generate income by competing in local and national tournaments, playing for clubs, engaging in chess hustles, becoming coaches and taking on roles such as arbiters, tournament directors, or commentators.

Last year, Tech Mahindra launched the Global Chess League (GCL), an IPL-style format, touted as the world’s first and largest franchise league. “Social media platforms have witnessed exponential growth in the consumption of chess content with the emergence of chess influencers. While the sport is undoubtedly popular, it remains under-commercialised, presenting an opportunity for brands to enter the space,” says Sameer Pathak, CEO of the league.

Tech Mahindra partnered with the International Chess Federation, or FIDE to launch GCL, with the inaugural season taking place in Dubai last year, in June and July. The league divided players into multiple categories in each team, with the new players given a fair chance to compete alongside the best in the world, says Pathak. “GCL was broadcast in almost 225 countries and territories, allowing fans to engage with the sport like never before. We have seen growing interest from various stakeholders for the second season and are working towards it,” he says.

Even players in the lower ranks have the option of earning money from tournaments as well as coaching. “Some players have chosen to engage in streaming and commentating, thus creating a personal brand,” says Pathak.

In the digital era, chess players also make money by becoming content creators and producing chess-related content through brand collaborations.

Several chess players have taken to sharing informative and engaging content to entertain users.

“Only the top 10-20 players had a chance to make a living out of playing chess a decade ago. Now, there are multiple opportunities, and most of them are internet based, including streaming, content creation, remote coaching, etc,” says Chessniti Academy’s Sreeraman. “For example, Levy Rozman (GothamChess), is an International Master. He’s the number 1 Chess YouTuber, but won’t even rank in the top 200 in the world.”

The rise of online chess platforms has also provided players opportunities to earn income from sponsorships. Several online tournaments are conducted every week, from mid-level to higher-level competitions, and chess players can earn money from home by participating in such competitions without having to travel to different locations.

Anand has some advice for every new player: If you’re starting out, just have fun. “Play a few fun games, see what you learn, see if you can implement that learning and take it one step at a time.”