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India Today
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
From the India Today archives (2025)
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated January 6, 2025)Gukesh Dommaraju doesn't have many childhood memories but there is one that's clearly etched in his mind. As a seven-year-old rookie chess player, standing with his father far back in a packed room at Chennai's Hyatt Regency hotel to watch Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen duel it out for the world championship title. The kid couldn't see the black-and-white squares but the sight of the two greats 'was inspiring' enough that he envisioned a dream then and there. 'I thought it'd be cool to be inside that glass box one day,' he says. Four years later, in a now viral clip he'd articulate the desire better: 'I want to become the youngest world chess champion.' On December 12, 2024, Gukesh, all of 18, fulfilled the wish by winning a thrilling contest against Ding Liren that lasted 56 hours, spread across 14 days. In doing so, the teenager not only broke legend Garry Kasparov's record to become chess's youngest world champion ever, but also became only the second Indian to win the title (after Anand's heroics in the noughties).advertisementBut Gukesh's splendid run in 2024—winning the Candidates face-off to become the challenger, a team and individual gold at the Chess Olympiad, then the world title—is a story within a story. The larger one is that India is today a bonafide chess powerhouse, a fecund ground for grandmasters (GMs) who are captivating the world. It's a whole Gen Z army out there. Take Arjun Erigaisi (21) who, earlier this month, entered the elite 2800 Elo ratings club, only the 16th player in history to do so. Besides these two, R. Praggnanandhaa (19) and Vidit Gujrathi (30), their partners from the gold medal-winning Olympiad 2024 team, are among the five Indians in the FIDE (Fdration Internationale des checs) top 20 rankings. Meanwhile, at the Global Chess League in October, 20-year-old Nihal Sarin was adjudged the season's most valuable player after guiding his team, PBG Alaskan Knights, into the CHECK AND MATE: Gukesh moments after beating Ding Liren of China in the 14th and last game, Dec. 12. (Photographs by FIDE) THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHTIndia's groundbreaking year in chess isn't over yet as Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa, Raunak Sadhwani (19), Aravindh Chithambaram (25) and Pranav V. (18) are among 10 Indians competing in the ongoing World Rapid and Blitz Championship in New York (December 26-30). Also in the Big Apple are the rising queens of the chessboard: R. Vaishali (23), who was tied second at the Candidates; Divya Deshmukh (19), the reigning junior girls champion; and women's International Master (IM) Vantika Agrawal (22). The trio was also part of the women's team which won gold at the Chess Olympiad in has described it as 'an Indian earthquake in chess'. For India now has 85 GMs, over half of them coming after Anand's world championship triumphs. Currently, an estimated 200 Indians are professional chess players. Hear Generation Next talk of chess and one gets a sense that this is less about success and big money and more about mad love and respect for the game. 'One move just changes the whole position and result,' says Pragg. 'It's what keeps me excited about looking at games and learning new things.' In elder sister Vaishali, the 2023 World Cup finalist is lucky to have someone at home with whom he can discuss all things chess. The duo is world's first brother-sister grandmaster pair. 'You have these opening ideas which you want to show but you cannot discuss with others,' he says. 'If I find something fascinating about a position and vice-versa, we discuss. We learn from each other.'advertisementThis generation also has distinct personalities and playing styles. If Gukesh and Pragg step into the field with vibhuti on their foreheads, Divya's game mode is hair down and lipstick on. If Gukesh appears as impassive as a poker player, Vidit Gujrathi is all emotion when on the board. International Master Sagar Shah, who is also the founder and CEO of popular content platform ChessBase India, singles out their differences. 'Gukesh has this huge ability for creative play at the board, Pragg has amazing endgame technique, Arjun has the ability to create complications which very few can navigate,' says Shah. Their strong showing has seen India emerge as the second biggest market after the US for the game's most popular website. That's 18.5 million registered users and a monthly active user base of 8 million. 'In terms of viewership, we are the fastest growing market,' says Avadh Shah, country director for Pragg and Vaishali have their mother, Nagalakshmi, accompanying them for tournaments, Gukesh relies on his father, Rajinikanth, an ENT specialist who put his practice on hold to travel with his son. Contrary to popular perception, chess is an expensive pursuit, with training fees coming at a hefty cost for families from middle-class backgrounds. Gukesh's mother Padmakumari, who teaches at the Madras Medical College (MMC), speaks of a time as recently as 2018-19 when the couple 'had no money' to fund their son's dream to be the youngest Grandmaster, which in turn required participation in tournaments abroad. The Dommarajus had their batchmates from the MMC pool in money to help them out. 'They were our first sponsors and we'll be grateful to them forever,' says KING'S GAMBITThe story of India's chess boom begins with the Covid pandemic when all the world was confined to their homes. The Netflix 2020 series, The Queen's Gambit, had generated a wave of interest in chess globally with many taking to playing chess online, but back home in India it was a king in not-so-shiny armour who was making a big push. His name? Viswanathan Anand. Having just hit 50, the five-time world champion's decision to step back a bit from his own playing career to give back to the sport would become a game-changing move for Indian December 2020, Anand partnered with WestBridge Capital to start WestBridge Anand Chess Academy a.k.a. WACA and identified a few promising GMs to take under its wing. 'For a couple of decades now, India has been one of the strongest countries in youth championships. The goal we set for ourselves was to help our most talented youngsters break into the top,' Anand told INDIA TODAY. Among the earliest benefactors of Anand's mentoring and online training sessions with top GMs like Grzegorz Gajewski, Artur Yusupov and Boris Gelfand were Gukesh, Pragg, Sarin and Raunak Sadhwani. 'Vishy Sir's is the biggest contribution,' says Gukesh. 'He and WestBridge did a great job of finding talent and providing amazing support. We were working super hard, and we had the best technologies also.' Adds Pragg, 'We didn't have tournaments in 2020 so the classes came at the correct time and we were all excited to attend the sessions. You can discuss anything with Vishy Sir, the games, what to focus on in training, what's lacking in one's game....'advertisementTo deploy Kasparov's now-famous comment, it wasn't long before 'Vishy's children' were on the loose. At the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, both the men's and women's team won bronze medals, with Gukesh and Nihal winning individual golds too. The men's and women's team would also win silver at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou. Anand says, 'I saw that Gukesh was very talented. Gukesh and Pragg, their work ethic was just off the charts. Nihal was a bit more mysterious. They were all very ambitious. I noticed this pattern that they all motivate each other. The moment one gets something, the others are driven.'Anand was the mastermind, but a host of other factors abetted the rise of the young bloods. The first generation of IMs and GMs started coaching academies which produced players like Vishnu Prasanna (one of Gukesh's longstanding coaches), R.B. Ramesh (coach of Pragg and Vaishali), Srinath Narayanan (Arjun, Nihal and Divya) and Abhijit Kunte. Anand likes to say that they coached 'the golden generation' of CHESS INTO HOMESThe credit for chess's growing appeal in India also goes to the unlikeliest of suspects—stand-up comedians. Popular comic Samay Raina, a chess enthusiast himself, started streaming games with peers such as Tanmay Bhatt, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Anirban Dasgupta and others on his YouTube show, Comedians Over the Board, in 2022. In March 2023, Raina would play Gukesh and lose after being in a winning position. The seven-minute video streamed on ChessBase India's YouTube channel has thus far netted 7.3 million views. Samay's chatty style and humorous commentary has gone a long way in changing the perception of chess being a game for nerds. Or as Anand, showing his funny side, told Samay: 'You've turned chess into a joke.'The chess fraternity acknowledges the impact of online creators like Samay and Biswa Kalyan. The latter even co-directed the documentary, Candidates, on India's chess prodigies, which will release in 2025. 'The difficult part about chess was that it was conceived as a hard, intimidating game. We had to take down that glass barrier,' says known chess commentator and IM Tania Sachdev who was part of the Olympiad gold-winning team. 'Getting a non-professional chess player voice like that of Samay into the scene really exponentially grew the game. The audience could relate to the game, have fun with it.' Sachdev and Anand also lauded the efforts of Sagar Shah and ChessBase India which 'opened up the game to audiences'. Starting in 2015, Sagar began covering the chess scene in India, interviewing its youngest and most talented practitioners as well as providing technical material for chess enthusiasts to hone their recently, both Samay and Sagar were at the centre of the first ever screening-cum-livestreaming of the 14 games of the World Chess Championships, held at The Habitat in Mumbai. Partnering with it had Anand and comedians like Samay, Bhatt and others joining Sagar and Tania Sachdev giving commentary through the long games. 'In chess, visuals don't do the talking,' says Sachdev, who is backed by Red Bull. 'You have to make chess accessible and entertaining while being true to it. You cannot make viewers feel like yeh kya ho raha hai.'Audiences cheered the breakthrough moves, broke into Gukesh chants and there was even a live rendition of a song dedicated to him, 'Go Go Guki Go'. Online viewership was impressive too. The average reach of each game was 1.5 million views with the highest coming for the final game, 3.9 million views. Another promising stat—as much as 70 per cent of the online audience was from the 19-34 age group. While Tamil Nadu continues to be the mecca of chess in India, the most views for the livestream came from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and the run of the past two years is anything to go by, India's chess future looks extremely promising. For professional players, it's an expensive pursuit, finding funding for the training and the travel to tournaments abroad. Luckily, apart from public sector companies, more private companies are now betting big money to support India's bright stars. Gukesh and Vaishali have WestBridge, Quantbox and Adani back Arjun and Pragg respectively, and Nihal Sarin's got Akshayakalpa. The All India Chess Federation also plays its part; a portion of its Rs 65 crore annual budget is used in contracts for 42 top players in seven different age categories (up to 19 years) as well as free coaching to 320 other selected players. Federation president Nitin Narang says, 'Often, players drop their passion owing to financial constraints, but with financial support and other facilities, they will be better positioned to excel.'The question now is, can they shun the noise and stay focused on the game, more so in this age of social media where scrutiny is relentless. 'I have told them how I do and did things,' says Anand. 'They have to take that and adapt it to a new time. Many of them have impressed me with how quickly they have grown into their own.'It helps that chess's Gen Z generation of Grandmasters are committed and value their role as the game's ambassadors. 'Gukesh will be the next Virat Kohli of India,' proclaims Sagar Shah, who has been tracking his evolution since 2016. 'When he says, 'I don't want to cheat at anything in life,' it's just the person he is. All of them are hardworking, honest and prioritise the processes over result. For youngsters, they are great role models.'For the world champion, reaching the summit of chess is only the beginning of his journey in chess. Gukesh brings a Rajini-like swagger to what is perceived as a serious sport just in the manner he strides his way to the chessboard or adjusts his shirt collar during the game. A fan of biographies of sporting greats, he understands the significance of a healthy mind which is why he engaged mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton—of Indian cricket team fame—in his team. There's also a self-awareness, which is why even after becoming world champion he declares he isn't the best and has much to do to catch up with the mighty Magnus Carlsen. If the games at the world championships were anything to go by, Gukesh is an audacious challenger, who refuses to give in. Persistent, he sits with eyes closed calculating moves that seem to bamboozle opponents. Ding certainly seemed frazzled. 'I just like to play chess, yeah,' Gukesh said at a press conference after one of the games. In the simplicity of that statement is hidden a grand ambition, a player who wants to be a GOAT (greatest of all time).The real rewards of Gukesh's achievement and those of others of his generation will perhaps be felt in the decades to come. For now, at the end of a tumultuous year, India's young grandmasters spearheaded by Gukesh have done enough to lift our collective pride and justify why the INDIA TODAY editors declared them the 2024 Newsmaker of the Year. Here's hoping India's chess tribe rules the squares for many more years DESHMUKH, 19IM, World Junior Girls Champion (Photo: Mandar Deodhar) Boring. That was five-year-old Divya Deshmukh's first impression of chess until the competitive streak kicked in. 'After I started playing tournaments, I wanted to finish on top of the table and be best at it,' says Deshmukh, who is vying to be Nagpur's third GM and only the fourth female to achieve the honour. After a breakthrough 2024 which saw her clinch team gold and individual gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, become the girls' world junior champion and cross 2500 Elo ratings, Divya's goals for 2025 are simple: 'Focus on mental and physical wellbeing, be healthy and happy.', 21GrandmasterRanked higher than Gukesh at No. 4 and with a better Elo rating (2801), the boy from Hanamkonda, Telangana, is seen as the one most likely to challenge the champion for the throne. An erstwhile protg of the WestBridge Academy, Arjun will aim to qualify for Candidates 2026. Adept at rapid and blitz formats, he is known for his positional clarity and ability to leave his opponents perplexed with complex moves.R. PRAGGNANANDHAA, 19 & VAISHALI RAMESHBABU, 23Grandmasters (Photo: Mark Livshitz/FIDE) She thinks he's 'messy'; he thinks she does 'things perfectly', which can at times be 'annoying'. What binds them is their unbridled love for chess. Four years her junior, Pragg took to the game only after watching big sister Vaishali play it. The duo became the first siblings to attain the Grandmaster tag and qualify for the prestigious Candidates tournament. While father Rameshbabu manages their media engagements and playing calendar, mother Nagalakshmi is a constant presence by their side at key tournaments. Says Pragg, 'There were many difficult moments financially but we never felt the pinch because they never told us about it. They have motivated us and kept us going during tough tournaments. They have been very important in our journey.'Subscribe to India Today Magazine
Daily Maverick
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
What's the point in standard chess, Carlsen wonders after table slam
On Sunday, Carlsen had his opponent on the ropes for much of the match in the Norway Chess 2025 tournament but his composure cracked under the pressure of a ticking clock and he committed a blunder that handed India's Gukesh a decisive advantage. Carlsen slammed his fist on the table after the defeat before exchanging a quick handshake with Gukesh, apologising for his outburst and storming off. Norway Chess 2025 marks Carlsen's first appearance in a standard tournament since the Chess Olympiad last September as the 34-year-old has been turning his focus onto Freestyle Chess, having relinquished his world title citing a lack of motivation. In Chess960/Freestyle chess, the starting position of the pieces on the back rank are reshuffled, meaning computer-backed preparations leading to sometimes dull openings are meaningless. 'Losses are painful no matter what but at least if you can lose doing something you really enjoy it's easier,' Carlsen said on Monday after a quick draw with world number two Hikaru Nakamura. '(In Freestyle chess) I don't have situations like yesterday where I'm just wondering why am I doing this, what's the point? 'I will do my best in the last three games (here) and then we'll see I suppose.' Carlsen's outburst left Gukesh shell-shocked on Sunday, although the world champion said he also sometimes loses his temper over the board. 'I mean, (the win was) not the way I wanted it to be, but okay, I'll take it,' Gukesh told '… I've also banged a lot of tables in my career.'
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First Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Magnus Carlsen acknowledges India's rising dominance in chess: 'Trying to stay ahead while I can'
The five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen has admitted that India's chess revolution is giving him tough competition. And staying ahead of the Indian chess stars is a priority for him. read more Magnus Carlsen has said the Indian chess is looking towards a 'very bright future'. Image: Norway Chess World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has admitted that he is facing tough competition from young Indian chess players who have taken the sport by storm. The Indian men's and women's teams won the Chess Olympiad gold medals for the first time in 2024 before D Gukesh defeated Ding Liren to become the youngest chess world champion of all time at 18. Currently, there are three players in the world top 10, including Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa and five in the top 15, comprising Aravindh Chithambaram and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Carlsen 'trying to stay ahead' of Indian chess stars The five-time world champion Carlsen highlighted the same depth in his conversation with Indian news agency ANI as he said that he is focussed on staying ahead of the young Indian chess Grandmasters and that Indian chess has a very bright future. 'Honestly, it's not only Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa. There's obviously Arjun as well, Aravindh, who's now progressing and a ton of others who will be competing in many years to come,' Carlsen said. 'So the future is certainly very bright for Indian chess. Right now I'm just trying to stay ahead while I can.' While the 34-year-old Carlsen is more than a decade older than the young Indian chess sensations, he continues to be the best player in the world and recently defeated both Gukesh and Arjun at the ongoing Norway Chess 2025. He also holds the sole lead at the tournament while the Indians are in a joint-fourth spot. Carlsen also addressed how Artificial Intelligence (AI) has impacted the world of chess. He said that AI has created a more level playing field. 'AI certainly has affected the game a lot since it was introduced about, I would say, six years ago. It's enhanced our understanding of the game a lot, but it's also been a great equaliser in the sense that it's now easier to obtain knowledge at an earlier point in your career.' Carlsen will be back in action on Saturday, taking on American GM Fabiano Caruana in Round 5, while Erigaisi faces Hikaru Nakamura and Gukesh plays against Wei Yi.
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Tamil Nadu rising to global level in field of sports, announces Mini Stadia in all 234 constituencies
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 30 (ANI): The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, is actively promoting the pioneering initiatives of the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department. These initiatives aim to engage youth in constructive activities, direct their diverse energy towards development, and mould them into mentally strong individuals who face the future with confidence, said a statement from DIPR. In this regard, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin is placing particular emphasis on youth welfare and sports development, implementing various new schemes. As a result, the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department of the Tamil Nadu government has accomplished numerous feats at the national and international levels, enhancing Chennai's reputation as the sports capital of India, added the statement. The highly esteemed 44th Chess Olympiad was conducted for the first time in India's history at Mamallapuram, thanks to CM Stalin's meticulous planning. This event was organised through the collaborative efforts of the Dravidian Model Government, the Tamil Nadu Government, and the All-India Chess Federation, with an estimated expenditure of Rs 114 crore. The Chess Olympiad was successfully conducted from July 28 to August 10, 2022, to the appreciation of nations worldwide. A total of 1,654 chess players from 186 countries participated, and they expressed their astonishment and appreciation for the exceptional hospitality extended by the Tamil Nadu Government, a level of warmth they had not encountered in any other nation. Consequently, Chennai has begun to emerge as a prominent power on the global sporting stage. In recognition of his contributions, CM Stalin was honoured with the 'Man of the Year' award from the Asian Chess Federation in the United Arab Emirates. CM gave significant attention to the successful organization of India's inaugural night-time Formula-4 car race, held in Chennai in August - September 2024. This ground-breaking event witnessed the participation 40 drivers from 15 different countries, who competed on a gruelling 3.7-kilometer circuit. This event marked a historic moment in motorsports, bringing immense pride to India and Tamil Nadu globally. CM Stalin directed the government to provide Rs 5 crore in financial assistance to the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association to successfully conduct the WTA Chennai Open 2022. With this assistance, the WTA Chennai Open 2022 was successfully hosted in Chennai, and the Chief Minister personally presented prizes and lauded the winning players, said the statement from DIPR As part of the Dravidian Model Government's steadfast interest in developing various sports in a comprehensive manner in Tamil Nadu, the Squash World Cup 2023 was successfully held in Chennai. The Dravidian Model Government provided financial assistance of Rs 22.66 crores, which was used to successfully conduct the 7th Asian Men's Hockey Champions Trophy 2023 in Chennai after a 16-year gap. Notably, this tournament was played on the world's first Polygras Paris GT Ecoturf. Due to the efforts undertaken by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, the 6th Khelo India Youth Games 2023 was successfully conducted across the four regions of Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, and Coimbatore. Over 5,630 sportspersons from 36 states and Union Territories participated and excelled in the games. In this highly successful competition, Tamil Nadu achieved a historic feat by securing the 2nd place in the overall medal tally with 38 gold, 21 silver, and 39 bronze medals. Prior to this, in the 5th Khelo India Youth Games 2022, 288 sportspersons from Tamil Nadu had participated, and Tamil Nadu secured the 8th position with 52 medals. Chennai hosted India's first-ever World Surfing League QS 3000 event held against the stunning backdrop of Mamallapuram's picturesque shores. The Government had provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs 2.68 crore towards the successful conduct of the event. The Chief Minister's Trophy Games is a landmark event of the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The 2023 edition of the games, comprising 15 different disciplines, was conducted across all districts in 2023 at a total cost of Rs 50.86 crore. 3.76 lakh sportspersons participated in the district and state-level games. In the 2024 edition of the games, due to the concerted efforts of the Deputy Chief Minister, the number of participants has more than doubled to 11.56 lakh. Notably, the total prize pool for the games was increased to Rs 37 crore. With the aim of fulfilling the needs of talented sportspersons and giving wings to their dreams, the Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation was launched as a pioneering initiative by the Hon'ble Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on May 8, 2023. Under the Foundation, financial assistance worth approximately Rs 17 crore has been provided to nearly 700 sportspersons thus far. The beneficiaries of the Foundation have participated in numerous national and international competitions and brought fame to Tamil Nadu by winning more than 200 medals. Dy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin announced in the Legislative Assembly that Chief Minister's Mini Stadia will be established in all 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. Consequently, works are being implemented in multiple phases to setup Chief Minister's Mini Stadia at a cost of Rs 3 crore each, with facilities for 5 popular key sports such as athletics, football, basketball, volleyball, and kabaddi. Currently, construction of the Chief Minister's Mini Stadia is in progress across 75 Assembly constituencies. MK Stalin has honoured 4,617 sportspersons, including para-athletes, who have brought laurels to Tamil Nadu by winning medals in international and national level sports competitions, by providing a high cash incentive totalling Rs 152.52 crore, an amount unprecedented by any previous government. The assistance for sportspersons under the ELITE Scheme has been increased from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh. During the Budget Session 2023-24, Deputy Chief Minister announced on the floor of the Assembly that Dr Kalaignar Sports Kit would be provided to all the rural panchayats of Tamil Nadu to commemorate the centenary celebrations of Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar. Under the Dr Kalaignar Sports Kit Scheme, sports equipment has been provided to all Panchayats to encourage the sporting talents of rural youth and enhance their training capabilities. Accordingly, since the launch of this scheme in Madurai district on February 18, 2024, 16,798 sports equipment kits have been provided to all 12,525 Village Panchayats at a cost of Rs 86 crore. Following this, Sports Kits have been being slated to be provided to all urban local bodies under the Dr. Kalaignar Sports Equipment Scheme with an allocation of Rs 100 crore. As a result of successfully hosting various international competitions in Tamil Nadu and various other pioneering initatives, the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu has been recognized as the 'Best State for Promoting Sports' by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Further, Tamil Nadu was honored as the 'Best State for Promoting Sports' at the Hindu Sportstar Aces Awards. The Dravidian Model Government's encouragement for contemporary development in sports development has been acknowledged at the GEM Awards 2025 by bestowing the state with 'Best State Promoting e-Sports' Award. The youngest World Chess Champion, D Gukesh, has received the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna Award for 2024. Four Tamil Nadu sportspersons have received the Arjuna Award for 2024. In the 38th National Games, Tamil Nadu achieved 6th place with 26 gold, 31 silver, and 35 bronze medals. In the last 4 years, the Chief Minister's State Youth Award has been presented to 10 men and 8 women for their excellent social service. This award includes a medal, a certificate of appreciation, and a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000. Various development works are being undertaken to further strengthen the infrastructure of sports facilities under the Dravidian Model Government. The various sports infrastructure facilities across Tamil Nadu are being upgraded at a total cost of Rs 26.30 crore. A multipurpose sports arena with a training center is being established at Radhapuram, Nellai district, at a cost of Rs 14.77 crore. 104 sportspersons including para sportspersons who have won medals in various international competitions have been appointed in various government departments and Public Sector Undertakings. The pension provided to indigent sportspersons has increased from 3,000 to Rs 6,000, benefiting a total of 74 indigent sportspersons. The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu is actively engaged in measures to springboard talented sportspersons to bring laurels to the state and the country in various national and international competitions. To achieve this noble objective, an Olympic Academy was recently established in Chennai. Further, works are underway to establish Olympic Academies in Trichy, Madurai, and the Nilgiris. With regard to coaching, 76 coaches, 4 Foreign Coaches, 5 Expert Coaches, and 2 Para Expert Coaches have been appointed to provide high-quality training to sportspersons. The Mission International Medal Scheme (MIMS) was introduced to nurture sporting talents to win medals at the international level. Under this scheme, financial assistance for sportspersons has been increased from Rs 10.00 lakh to Rs 12.00 lakh, benefiting 71 beneficiaries. Thus, through the tireless efforts of Hon'ble Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu is emerging as the sporting capital of the Indian subcontinent, said the statement from DIPR. (ANI)
New Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Dopamine high makes chess trend as a 'cool game' in Kerala
Once considered a niche pursuit reserved for geeks, chess has undergone a transformation in Kerala over the past few years. While the game has always had its space in school clubs, library evenings, and local tournaments, something changed abruptly, and perhaps permanently. Since the pandemic, chess has steadily moved from analogue boards and niche circles to digital platforms and wider public interest. And Kerala has not been left behind. In fact, the state boasts the fourth-highest number of registered players in the country, following Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Can this momentum be sustained? 'Internet chess saw a 60 per cent growth during the pandemic. There was a huge spike in casual players across different apps. Chess started being viewed as a productive and positive addiction,' says Vijin Babu, director of Capablanca Chess School, Thiruvananthapuram. 'Lockdown boredom played a part, but online platforms offering round-the-clock games were a big push. Even the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit, released around that time, helped turn a chess prodigy into a pop culture icon.' Vijin notes that the shift to online learning widened their reach. 'Before Covid-19 struck, we only had students from Thiruvananthapuram. Once everything moved online, we started getting students from across Kerala, and also foreign countries. Some of them, without any in-person training, went on to compete at the national level. And the number of teachers and chess schools has only grown.' Visibility factor This growth is accelerating — especially after a historic year for Indian chess. In 2024, India claimed gold in both the men's and women's categories at the Chess Olympiad. Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest world chess champion, Koneru Humpy won the Women's World Rapid title, and players like R Praggnanandhaa continued to make headlines by defeating the likes of Magnus Carlsen. Social media lit up, and the game suddenly felt new again. The success of Malayali grandmasters Nihal Sarin and S L Narayanan has only added fuel to the fire. Both qualified for the upcoming Chess World Cup after strong performances in the Asian Individual Championship. 'Nihal's journey started around age five, during school vacation,' recalls his father, Dr Sarin Abdulsalam. 'His grandfather taught him the rules, and within days, he was already competing with him. But the path was not easy; managing school, travel, coaching, and finances was tough. At that time, Kerala lacked strong tournaments, so we had to travel a lot. Support from Tata Trusts and Akshayakalpa made a real difference.' Dr Sarin believes Kerala has great talent, but it needs more support. 'We need better infrastructure, regular high-level tournaments, and structured coaching systems. And I think a franchise-based chess league could change the game here,' he says. S L Narayanan's story is similar. A restless child, he found focus in chess and became a grandmaster at 18, even while topping his class despite regular absences for tournaments. 'Kerala's first grandmaster was G N Gopal. Then came Narayanan, and then Nihal. Despite the talent here, progress is slow compared to other states,' says Narayanan's father, Sunil Dutt P. 'The number of tournaments has grown, but quality has not improved much. Also, while other states benefit from solid sponsorships, Kerala still lacks that kind of support.' But that has not deterred more prodigies from taking to the 64-square battlefield. Some days ago, TNIE featured the story of Divi Bijesh, the youngest girl in Kerala to be conferred the Woman Candidate Master title by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). 'I don't really get nervous when I play,' she told this reporter. 'I just enjoy it a lot. I watch lots of chess games online, especially those of Magnus Carlsen. He is my favourite.' Divi's coach Sreejith G S, of Master Chess Academy, says enhanced visibility of the game has made a big difference. 'Parents now believe that any child, regardless of background, can go far in chess. Some enrol children to boost focus and memory. People spot talent early and nurture it,' he notes.
