Bengaluru: Indian chess is on fire right now, with a double Olympiad victory and an 18-year-old world champion emerging in the same year. “This is Chess 2.0 for India,” said Nitin Narang, president of the All India Chess Federation (AICF), in an interview with HT. “Viswanathan Anand kicked off this whole movement. I remember as a kid how monumental his World Championship win felt. As president, I’ve noticed that in various sports, there’s often a big rise followed by a drop. But with Gukesh’s recent win, we’ve got some serious momentum. This is going to set the stage for the next wave of chess players.”

“Our action plan has been super focused – we’re putting money into young talent, for starters. Having an 18-year-old world champion will definitely help close any gaps, and it’s going to motivate a lot of young players to take chess seriously as a career. We’re anticipating a big increase in people choosing chess as a profession. When it comes to sponsorships, the federation knows that transparency is key. After our Olympiad teams won, we managed to secure a good amount of sponsorship, and the same happened when Gukesh won the Candidates. I’m confident we’ll keep that momentum going, and chess is going to attract a lot more attention.”

Of course, chess is an individual sport, and in India, we tend to be more focused on star players than on the sport itself.

Right now, I bet there’s not a single Indian brand that can afford it and isn’t eager to team up with Gukesh. I’ve had calls from three different brands showing their interest in him, Narang mentioned. “What we really need to focus on is making the most of this momentum. We’ll be meeting with our state units to figure out how to boost chess at the grassroots level and ensure that Gukesh’s story gets the national spotlight it deserves.”

The federation is also planning a big celebration for Gukesh in Delhi when he gets back, Narang added.

When asked about the National Rating System, which aims to support the rise of strong domestic tournaments and more players, Narang said it’s still in the works.

“This rating system isn’t something that’s going to be ready overnight. It’s going to take some time. We’re still on it,” Narang explained.

There's still a need to make chess more relatable as a sport in the country.

"I was in Singapore for the first two rounds and the last two rounds. Watching history happen right in front of me gives me a sense of confidence that our task might be a bit easier now. Every state is working hard to ensure that chess is included in school programs, and we've been pushing for e-learning to incorporate local languages as a key part. Progress is being made, but we need to step it up and be more proactive about it."

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