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Indian Express

Checkmate: USA vs India aims to take chess from fringes of sports world into the mainstream

Since the COVID pandemic, chess has gained millions of new fans. But the one area that remains largely uncharted for the sport is television broadcast, with streaming platforms still the primary source of distribution. Checkmate: USA vs India — pitting two of the strongest nations in the sport against each other – hopes to make it attractive for broadcasters and casual fans, who stay away finding it too complicated. The event will see four of the top five players in the world —Hikaru Nakamura, D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and Fabiano Caruana — playing for their countries. They will be joined by the likes of Divya Deshmukh, Ethan Vaz, chess commentator Sagar Shah (all representing India), Carissa Yip, Tanitoluwa Adewumi and popular streamer Levy Rozman (representing the USA). The thought behind the venture is to make the sport more accessible to casual fans who find the grammar of the sport riddled with technicalities. 'This is built for fans — not just chess purists. Most chess events today are tailored for serious players, with heavy theoretical commentary. We're moving away from that,' Salim Belcadi of Checkmate Strategic Ventures, the main organiser of this event, tells The Indian Express. The idea is to have a product that appeals to casual fans, but not at the expense of hardcore chess romantics. Belcadi says that at the moment, most chess broadcasts are designed to cater to 'insiders', whom he says are 'serious players that are fluent in theory and analysis'. The group wants to create compelling storylines for all audiences. 'It will be a format that major broadcasters can carry, casual fans can enjoy, and sponsors can support. It's about building a commercially viable sport that still honours the depth of the game,' he says. Despite its growing appeal, getting chess on TV has been next to impossible barring occasional appearances. FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky, in a recent conversation with ChessBase India, even admitted: 'Maybe, we don't have a product that is ready to be televised in a way that millions of people can follow it.' The Checkmate: USA vs India event is an attempt to change that perception. Belcadi says the idea behind the event was to 'have a format that delivers intensity, identity, and storytelling'. It germinated in 2023, but they only approached players two months ago. 'We expected a bit of resistance, but there was none. Players were either curious, excited, or enthusiastic. They found the format fun and fresh — something they wanted to be part of,' he says. What was the thought behind picking India and USA, over other countries like Russia, China and Uzbekistan, which also have a massive footprint in the sport? 'It was clear that India and the USA are the two largest markets for chess. They are two powerhouses of chess by objective measurements such as participation, viewership, player depth, number of grandmasters, and global rankings. India brings youth, depth, and momentum. Even fearlessness. The USA brings star power, legacy, and global media reach. This event is about the future of chess, and these two countries are currently shaping that future, in their own way,' Belcadi says. The need to create a 'narrative' for the battle, led them to have a nation-based team event, even though chess remains a largely individualistic sport. 'Individual brilliance is still front and centre, but framing the event as a national face-off introduces something more powerful — a narrative,' he says. 'Chess still sits on the fringe of mainstream sports, and our mission is to help change that.'