Indian chess’s blueprint: AICF announce Rs 65 crore budget to popularise sport in every household

After a history-making month for Indian chess, the All India Chess Federation unveiled a host of initiatives to further popularise the sport in India, and revealed a whopping budget of Rs 65 crore.

Last month, five Indian grandmasters — Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit Gujrathi in the open section and Humpy Koneru and Vaishali in the women’s event — had competed in the prestigious Candidates tournament. 17-year-old Gukesh went on to win the open section event, thus becoming the youngest player to qualify for the World Chess Championship battle.

Now, to capitalise on that progress on the 64 squares, the Indian chess federation has announced a raft of initiatives such as having a chess development fund, introducing strong financial backing with player contracts and coaching at all levels, financially supporting district and state associations, setting up a state-of-the-art National Chess Arena (NCA) for elite-level training and an AICF Rating system specifically for India.

AICF’s new president, Nitin Narang, unveiling the national chess federation’s blueprint at the AICF general body meeting on Saturday evening, pinpointed four significant challenges that need addressing: integration of chess into school curriculum, introduction of chess e-learning in syllabus (chess in education); the identification and nurturing of talent; the strengthening of grassroots academies and training institutions; and the sustainability of the All India Chess Federation (AICF).

Candidates Chess 2024: India’s R Praggnanandhaa, D Gukesh, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi. Koneru Humpy at the Opening Ceremony along with other players. (PHOTO: FIDE/Michal Walusza)

“Players are at the heart of chess and many have to compromise on their passion due to the lack of funds, institutional support, and opportunities. I am committed to making every player’s dream a reality through myriad initiatives rolled out today, in our INR 65 Cr budget. We are setting up a chess development fund to ensure that we empower the grassroots level players and bring them to a global level of excellence,” Narang said while announcing their ambition to bring chess to every household.

Here are some of the most notable features announced by the AICF:

Contracts for national-level players: AICF said it will introduce two-year contracts for national-level players, from U-7 to U-19 age groups, disbursing funds ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 to players via Direct Benefit Transfer under relevant categories. The players will promote chess through grassroots initiatives like ‘Meet the Champions’ in educational institutions.

Cash Rewards for Top 20 Chess Players: To recognize and reward excellence in chess, AICF said it will allocate cash awards to the top 10 male and female players based on their FIDE rankings. The top five male and female players will each receive Rs 25 lakh, while the players ranked 6th to 10th will each be awarded Rs 12.5 lakh.

Chess development fund: The fund will support initiatives such as trainer training programs, coach certification, and outreach efforts, including workshops and conferences. It aims to integrate chess into school curriculums and provide resources tailored to female players and various social segments.

Women In Chess program: The Women In Chess program aims to enhance inclusivity and opportunity in chess for women, expanding the Smart Girl Program with a minimum of 50 annual events, each supported by a ₹1,00,000 grant. AICF also said that it will have a 33% reservation for women in several key areas like certification for coaches and arbiters, participation of female arbiters in AICF-recognised events, and inclusion in the Campus Ambassador Program.

Plans for Chess Content Creators: AICF also said it wanted to collaborate with YouTubers, influencers, and streamers besides fostering new creators through mentorship from established content creators to nurture a thriving community of chess content creators.

Other plans included:

Having National Chess Awards and a Chess Development Conference to honor exceptional coaches and players and to concurrently bring together industry leaders and universities to advance chess through strategic workshops and discussions, recognizing significant contributions to both the game and societal development.

A corporate chess league

A Wheelchair Chess Program in collaboration with NGOs besides initiatives for senior citizens (“Checkmate Dementia”, and a chess initiative for at-risk youth.

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