Asian Junior Chess Cries Out For Support!

At the Asian Junior and Girls Championship held at the ITC Maratha Sheraton, Mumbai what cried out was the urgent need for generous support for the 64-square board game featuring white and black pieces and young, talented minds. The absence of a corporate logo was particularly noticeable and unexpected, especially considering that nine countries and 85 boys and girls are taking part in the event. Indians are aiming to become a future Viswanathan Anand and join the bandwagon of Grandmasters, with India significantly reducing Russia’s dominance in the FIDE rankings. The multi-day tournament, which includes Rapid, Blitz, and Classical chess, is expected to cost around Rs 2.5 crore— a substantial sum. Fortunately, the Sports Authority of India backed the event, easing the organisers’ worries. However, the Maharashtra Chess Association has struggled to garner sufficient corporate support. Additional backing from industry leaders could have signalled genuine interest in a sport that secured gold medals at the 2024 Chess Olympiad and produced young stars like Dommaraju Gukesh who won the World title. Upcoming weeks will highlight Indian chess’s progress, especially with the national teams competing at the Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and Gukesh along with Vaishali participating in the 2026 FIDE World Championship finals. India is also nearing the milestone of 100 Grandmasters, continuing a legacy dating back to Anand’s victory at the Asian Juniors in 1984, with the Indian boys and girls winning 24 Asian Junior titles. A growing sport like chess needs wholehearted support from the industry and Corporate honchos. Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte, who coached the Indian women’s team that won the Chess Olympiad two years ago, believes that corporate support is imperative for the sport to prosper across the country. Unfortunately, it is lacking at the ongoing Asian Junior Championships at a Mumbai suburb.