In India there has been a recent surge in interest in chess reports Rajini Vaidyanathan. Highlights from his article include:

• Some of the reasons for the interest in the game include:
  • The opening up of India’s economy in the early 90s allowed Indians to travel abroad and gain international experience.
  • The rise of the internet gave chess players the opportunity to simulate millions of games at the click of a button.
  • Indians believe that there is an inherent educational value to the game, and education is seen as being extremely important.
  • Indians believe that chess was invented in India.
• The number of grandmasters in India has tripled in the past 7 years.
• Eight Indians are ranked in the world top 100.
• Chess is now on the school curriculum of several Indian states.
• The Mughal Emperor Akhbar is said to have played live games of chess with real animals and soldiers moved around on a giant board.

To read about the 15 year old chess grand-master, the 4 year old who started playing at the age of 2, how Indian women fare at the game, the rise of chess coaching in India, and why it is still difficult to make a living from chess, click here.

Source: BBC