International Chess Day highlights how India’s centuries-old board game is forging a new identity in competitive gaming. Originating as Chaturanga nearly 1,500 years ago, chess has transcended its traditional roots to become a digital spectator sport with vast global reach.

The surge of online chess during the 2020 lockdown accelerated this shift, driven by the popularity of a major streaming series and the rise of personalities across Chess.com, Twitch and YouTube. Innovative events such as Chess.com’s PogChamps tournament blended celebrity appeal with grandmaster mentorship, while streaming figures like GothamChess and the Botez sisters broadened the game’s appeal among younger audiences.

Platform metrics underscore the transformation. In 2024, Chess.com logged more than 7.6 billion games and exceeded 200 million registered accounts. India accounts for over 9 million active monthly users and adds roughly 550,000 new players each month. Viewership on chess content has surged to 925 million organic views this year, a 640 percent increase from the prior period.

Chess’s integration into esports took shape as prominent grandmasters joined established teams: Qiyu Zhou signed with Counter Logic Gaming, Hikaru Nakamura with Team SoloMid and Andrew Tang with Cloud9. The International Chess Federation and Chess.com featured chess at the inaugural Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023. This momentum culminated in the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, where Magnus Carlsen served as ambassador for a $1.5 million rapid-format competition organized with Chess.com.

Indian talent has secured a strong foothold. Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, representing Gen.G, earned direct entry to the Esports World Cup via the Champions Chess Tour. The remaining slots will be settled in a Last Chance Qualifier July 24–26, where Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram—both signed to S8UL—will vie for inclusion. S8UL stands among 40 global partners in the Esports World Cup Foundation’s Club Partner Program and fields teams across multiple gaming titles.

Domestic infrastructure is also advancing. NODWIN Gaming recently partnered with Chess.com and ChessBase India to expand India’s chess-esports ecosystem. Its exclusive streaming of the World Chess Championship, in which Gukesh Dommaraju defeated Ding Liren for the title, drew 24 million views and peaked at 200,000 concurrent viewers. Earlier initiatives such as the Chess Super League and chess events at DreamHack Hyderabad have further solidified the game’s place in India’s digital entertainment landscape. On International Chess Day, the blend of tradition and technology underscores chess’s evolution from a strategic pastime to a dynamic esports phenomenon, engaging a new generation of players and fans.