Chennai GM aspires to be sustainable

THESE are exciting times for chess in the country. Players are being feted, FIDE are planning multiple tournaments and some of the best in the world genuinely want to play here, if nothing else to experience 'India's chess culture'.

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN @Chennai

The Chennai Grand Masters event — returning for a third edition in 2025 — is another nod to India's ascendancy in the board game. Having the players is just one part of the equation. Organising and hosting elite-level tournaments is all part of the ecosystem for the game to grow in a holistic manner. The event, set to begin from Wednesday, definitely wants to be louder than last year. Twenty players, 10 each across Masters and Challengers and with a prize pool of Rs 1cr, make it the biggest yet. They have also managed to bag a Singapore-based fintech company as title sponsor.