The International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced a new partnership with the City-based Tech Mahindra Ltd., focussing on creating together the Global Chess League, a project first proposed by Tech Mahindra earlier this year, according to Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the group.
“Now with the support of FIDE, the Global Chess League will be provided with an accredited and exclusive status as the only world league officially recognised by the governing body of the sport of chess,” he said on Friday.
“From tweeting about the game to forming a league under Viswanathan Anand’s mentorship, and now on-boarding FIDE — the entire journey has been very gratifying. With the coming together of all the forces in the field of chess and technology, we hope the Global Chess League will take the game to new heights and create vibrant opportunities for the entire chess community across the world,” Mahindra said.
“The competition will be established as a first-of-its-kind “phygital” (physical and digital) league, engaging players from all levels — professional or otherwise. In principle, it will have several franchise-owned teams from across the globe, which will comprise a mix of titled players along with juniors and wildcard entrants playing each other in an exciting format,” he said.
FIDE and Tech Mahindra will join their forces and expertise to ensure that the spirit of the game and the highest sporting and organisation standards are maintained. FIDE will help structure the technical regulations, and promote the league through its media channels, providing the global audience with an engaging platform.
“This collaboration will also promote playing of chess in new and innovative formats, create opportunities for youth, and foster many champions globally. The partnership aims to leverage new-age technologies like 5G, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, among others, and explore innovative ways of promoting the game through interactive technology-enabled platforms,” Mahindra added.
