PeakDash

The popularity of chess really soared after Anand’s success. He transformed the game for Indians after he won the world junior title in 1987, turning it into something young generations could aspire to for recognition, fame, and perhaps money.

When Anand achieved The Grandmaster title a year later, it was a first for India. Enthusiasm swept through the country and Indians went in droves to buy chess sets, briefly looking as though it might even eclipse the nation’s obsession with cricket. Anand, who is from Chennai in Tamil Nadu in the south, can take credit for the increased popularity of chess in India today.

India now has 73 grandmasters compared to just 20 in 2007. The fact that it is an intellectual game appeals to middle-class Indian parents who place academic and intellectual pursuits ahead of physical activities. It also helps that no expenditure is required apart from the board.

‘Apologies’: Indian billionaire says he cheated to beat chess champion

“In the days of scarcity before the economy opened up in early 1990, everything a child did had to be geared towards getting a well-paid job. Anything else, including sports, was neglected except for cricket, which, of course, was so big that it could lead to fame and wealth,” said Veer Bhatia, former principal of a government school in New Delhi.

Following Anand’s trailblazing achievements, public sector companies, including Indian Railways, began recruiting talented chess players. Providing jobs allowed them to enjoy some financial security while honing their skills. While most other state- owned companies have now stopped giving budding chess players jobs, Indian Railways continues to support them in this way.

02:06

Shogi sensation: Japanese take on chess finds new fans thanks to teen prodigy Sota Fujii

Shogi sensation: Japanese take on chess finds new fans thanks to teen prodigy Sota Fujii

Former nationally ranked chess player Ashok Alexander, reacted to the news of Praggnanandhaa’s win by saying that chess is an amalgamation of music and mathematics, which are well known for producing child prodigies.

“Both traditions – music and maths – are ageless in India so perhaps it’s not surprising that India is producing some superb players,” he said.

Nowhere are they being produced more rapidly than in Tamil Nadu, Anand’s home state in south India. Of India’s 73 grandmasters, 31 have been from Tamil Nadu, including the latest, Bharath Subramaniyam, who joined the ranks last month.

Chennai is the chess capital of India. The Tamil Nadu state government made chess a compulsory subject in all government schools in 2012, both to develop students’ cognitive skills and provide an opportunity for them to excel at the game.

Amarpreet Sidhu, 14, is member of a chess club, not in Chennai but in New Delhi, and he wishes he had been taught at school. “I like it because it takes me into another world, I forget the power cuts, the patchy internet, issues with friends, problems. I also feel it sharpens my mind,” he said.

Who is 17-year-old Hong Kong tennis prodigy Coleman Wong?

Following the significant role Anand played in increasing the popularity of chess, the game was then revolutionised for Indians by the internet. Suddenly, players could pit themselves against others of all standards, not only in India but globally, too. After the liberalisation of the economy in 1991, it also became easier for players to travel to other countries and gain further exposure to good players.

Currently, 50,000 chess players are registered in the country but the All-India Chess Federation estimates that around one million Indians, most young, play in local tournaments.

The federation has encouraged the game by holding tournaments with prize money and seeking to identify talent. It runs youth championships at state and national levels. Most cities have their own chess clubs (Anand used to be a member of a club in Tamil Nadu). Chennai alone has more than 50 chess academies.

In August 2020, India won the online Chess Olympiad jointly with Russia. For once, cricket wasn’t the sole focus. The hashtag #Chess Olympiad trended on Twitter and hundreds of thousands of chess lovers watched the event live on YouTube.

02:08

Behind the make-up: the illegal child workers in India’s mica mines

Behind the make-up: the illegal child workers in India’s mica mines

Among those watching the Olympiad were the residents of a Kerala village called Marottichal, where an addiction to alcohol and gambling was rife. One day in 2017, a villager tried an experiment. He bought a chess board and started teaching people how to play.

The alcohol and gambling addiction faded and most villagers now play regularly. They play anywhere there is space – on the ground, on walls, under a banana tree or while peeling vegetables in the kitchen.

Now there are plans for India to launch its first chess league with teams being sponsored by corporations.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51ku6bD0miYrKGRZMCwwdOhZJqrmZZ8or7TopqlnV9ofneElG5taKGembaiv4ytnJ6mXZi1pr%2FSZpqhmZ2ltrC6jLCfqGWSmq61ecyanqeto2Kwor7LrJynZaKesaq6xmaumq6V