Olympiad fine, bigger challenge is legacy

It was heartening to see the response to the Chess Olympiad in Mahabalipuram. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the players of various countries called the event one of the best Olympiads in recent times. But now that lights have been switched off and the caravan has left town, the next, bigger challenge begins. Hosting a blue-riband event is well and good, but it will count for little if there’s no discernible benefit in the months and years to come. The legacy aspect of the Olympiad will be determined by what happens next. There is now a proper momentum for chess in the country, and the question is whether the stakeholders can capitalise on it to lay the groundwork for more tournaments, Grandmasters (GMs), women players and, perhaps, a world champion in the Classical format. 

As it stands, the country hosts only elite chess events annually, which is not good enough. There are also not enough events that hand out norms, so upcoming players must go to other countries to meet their norms. This has to change. The lack of women players is a global problem, but, shockingly, India hasn’t produced a GM among women players for the last 11 years. Make it more inclusive so that women players want to play.

What the Olympiad also showed is that the country’s centennials are ready to take over the mantle from the seasoned campaigners. So, in the future, the All India Chess Federation (AICF) may want to revisit the criteria for sending teams to the Olympiad. A change in selection policy could also be welcome. For example, suppose the Olympiad was held in Moscow or any other country apart from India. In that case, the likes of D Gukesh, Nihal Sarin and R Praggnanandhaa will not have been selected because of their inferior rating points compared to India’s seniors. This was the issue raised by Pravin Thipsay, India’s head of delegation at the Olympiad. Going forward, he wants to suggest to the All India Chess Federation that three people on ratings and two on form is a better way to select sides for team events.