IITM BS CHESS CHRONICLES JANUARY EDITION

EDITIION#13 SHAH MAAT CHESS COMMUNITY PRESENTS JANUARY’25
IITM BS CHESS CHRONICLES @shahmaatiitm
EVENTS IN JANUARY IN INDIA AND WORLD

AICF felicitates World Champions
On 18th January, the All India Chess Federation
felicitated D Gukesh, Koneru Humpy, and R
Vaishali for their achievements. Gukesh
received ₹1 Crore for becoming the World
Champion, World Rapid Women Champion
Humpy received ₹50 lacs, while Vaishali was
awarded ₹20 lacs for winning Bronze at the
World Blitz Women 2024.Gukesh's team also
received ₹50 lacs for their contribution in the
World Champion's victory.
Tata Steel Chess 2025
The 87th edition of Tata Steel Chess 2025 in
Wijk aan Zee is being held from January 17th
till February 2nd. The masters section hosts
some of the most popular names of the chess
world including the world champion D.
Gukesh in his first tournament since winning
the world championship title back in
December.
PAGE 1
EVENTS IN JANUARY IN INDIA AND WORLD

Arjuna Award for Vantika, Khel Ratna for Gukesh
World Champion D Gukesh became the
youngest-ever to be awarded the
prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel
Ratna Award 2024 on 17th January.
Vantika Agrawal, on the other hand,
received the second highest sporting
honor, the Arjuna Award 2024 for
securing Gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad
in both the Team Women and Individual
Women categories. This is the 3rd
consecutive year where Arjuna Award
has been awarded to chess players.
Indians in world ranking

With the continued rise of Aravindh
Chithambaram, now India has 6 players in the
world top 24 as per the January rating charts,
the players being GM Arjun Erigasi, World
champion D. Gukesh, GM Viswanathan Anand,
GM R. Praggnanandhaa, GM Chithambaram,
and GM Vidit Gujrathi.
PAGE 2
TRENDING IN IITM BS CHESS COMMUNITY

CHESS MANIA
An online tournament was held between 4-7
January as a part of Paradox in Margazhi'25 for all
BS students. We had over 400 registrations. The
event consisted of 3 stages: Qualifiers, Auction, and
Finals, where variants including Blitz, Crazy House
and Chess960 were played.
From Qualifiers, the top 100 players qualified for

the auction, with the Top 10 being captains. Teams
were named after Indian rivers and captains
formed teams with a purse of 100k each.
After a gruesome play in the finals, Team

Brahmaputra emerged as the winners whereas
teams Narmada and Godavari secured 2nd and 3rd
position respectively.
GUEST SESSION - GM FRANCESCO SONIS

On 7th January, Italian Grand Master Francesco
Sonis joined us for the closing ceremony of Chess
Mania and Guest Speaker Session. He also played a
game of hand and brain with a few of our top
players. With his great insights, the conclusion of the
tournament was a perfect one.
PAGE 3
EDITORIAL PAGE
ROOKS, RAPS, & REELS: WHEN CHESS MEETS GENZ
BY JUHI PAREKH
Chess in India has experienced a boom in

these past few years, fuelled significantly
by pop culture. The sport has almost
always been perceived as a niche,
intellectual one, yet is now finding its place
in mainstream entertainment, capturing
the attention of younger audiences. This
IN THIS MONTH IN HISTORY cultural shift has been catalysed by a blend
of influencers, media, and creative
January in the chess world has been
synonymous with "The Wimbledon of storytelling.
chess" for long. Formerly known as Series like ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ have
Hoogovens Beverwijk, Tata Steel definitely sparked global interest, but in
Chess is now in its 87th year. India, figures like stand-up comedian
The Wijk aan Zee chess tournament Samay Raina have added a never seen
started off in January of 1938 and was before dimension to the chess world. His
just an employee tournament for YouTube streams, blending humor with
Hoogovens. From that point on it has
high-level chess commentary, introduced
attracted the greatest plates of the
game from Kasparov, to Anand to the game to millions, particularly Gen Z
Carlsen. and millennials. [CONT.]
PAGE 4
EDITORIAL PAGE
ROOKS, RAPS, & REELS: WHEN CHESS MEETS GENZ
BY JUHI PAREKH
His online presence has helped cater to a whole new audience and managed to keeping
them engaged in a traditionally “boring game”.Music, too, has played a role, with raps and
songs resonating with modern audiences. Songs like ‘Shatranj ka Kamal’ by Devin &
Derayne have put chess on a pedestal for India. Ads like Myntra’s recent campaign with
legend Viswanathan Anand and World Champion Gukesh have spotlighted chess as a
dynamic, youth-friendly sport. These initiatives tend to showcase the fun side of players,
breaking the stereotype of chess as a solitary and cerebral game.
Stand-up comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath has recently announced he is working on a chess
documentary, ‘Candidates’, which follows the journey, hardships, and sacrifices of young
Indian chess prodigies. ‘Dabaru’, a biographical sports drama film based on the life of GM
Surya Shekhar Ganguly released in 2024 also engaged a small but enthusiastic Bengali
audience.
This synergy of pop culture and chess has expanded the sport’s reach far beyond its
traditional audience. It’s fostering a new generation of players and fans who see chess not
just as a game, but as a lifestyle symbol of strategy, and creativity. With pop culture
amplifying its appeal, Indian chess is poised for an exciting new chapter.
PAGE 5
STRATEGIC STAR AWARD
Jayesh Gupta performed exceptionally well

in the recently held Chess Mania. He had
the most wins during the tournament,
winning all 8 matches in group stage and 1
match in semi final. His extraordinary
performance earned him The Strategic
Star Award. His presence in his team
created a huge impact.
For inquiries, complaints, article contributions, or advertising discussions, please reach out to us at
chess.club@study.iitm.ac.in
EDITORIAL WRITERS : JUHI PAREKH

MONIKA R
ILLUSTRATOR : BHAVIKA JAIN
PAGE-6

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EDITIION#13 SHAH MAAT CHESS COMMUNITY PRESENTS JANUARY’25

IITM BS CHESS CHRONICLES @shahmaatiitm

EVENTS IN JANUARY IN INDIA AND WORLD

EVENTS IN JANUARY IN INDIA AND WORLD

Indians in world ranking

TRENDING IN IITM BS CHESS COMMUNITY

From Qualifiers, the top 100 players qualified for

After a gruesome play in the finals, Team

GUEST SESSION - GM FRANCESCO SONIS

Chess in India has experienced a boom in

STRATEGIC STAR AWARD

Jayesh Gupta performed exceptionally well

EDITORIAL WRITERS : JUHI PAREKH

ILLUSTRATOR : BHAVIKA JAIN

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