![]() The offline Olympiad, which India won the bid to host after the Inter national Chess Federation (FIDE) decided to move it out of Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is expected to attract a new set of viewers and players. He breaks down things so that even a non-chess playing viewer can understand it,” says Niranjan Navalgund, community manager at India and a FIDE Master. “What influencers like Raina bring to the game is relatability. For one, there is the surge in interest in chess, particularly online, during the pandemic fuelled by the success of the Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit and India’s win at last year’s Olympiad, held online.Īiding this was the rise of “chess influencers” like comedian Samay Raina, who streams matches on YouTube peppered with memes and jokes, which attract a considerable following from those who might otherwise not track the game, especially among Gen Z. But the game itself has seen quite a few shifts since the last time the seaside capital hosted a major international chess event, the legendary World Championship of 2013 when hometown champion and title defender Viswanathan Anand faced off against a young Carlsen. ![]() That youngsters serious about chess continue to zoom in on Chennai to hone their skills is a testament to the city’s reputation as a mecca of the ancient game of strategy, one that’s only set to be burnished when it hosts the 44th Chess Olympiad in less than a month. “I had a friend in Chennai who recommended I come here to train with Ramesh sir,” says Soham Lohia, 13, who otherwise lives in London. Soon after, three students troop in, one from Indore, one from Sivaganga and a third from the UK. “Maybe 20? Maybe more,” says the softspoken 46-year-old, with a laugh. RB Ramesh, who set up Chess Gurukul in 2008 with his wife, Aarthie Ramaswamy (both of whom are Grandmasters), cannot quite pin down the number of GMs the academy has produced. Then again, Chess Gurukul might not need to advertise its presence, with its roster of talent including chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, who beat world champion Magnus Carlsen in February, and a host of other GMs. For an institute which has possibly produced more chess Grandmasters (GMs) than any other, there are no signs indicating its presence on Vaidyaraman Street in Chennai’s bustling T-Nagar where the ochre building is located, near the state BJP office. But Chess Gurukul, evidently, does not play by these rules. After all, flaunting the success of their students via advertisements and using prominent signage is practically part of the business model and an important way to reel in more students. Coaching institutes are typically not the most modest of places.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |