NEW DELHI: On a winter evening in Kolkata, when the fog hangs low over the Maidan and the city's iconic hand-pulled rickshaws creak their way home, the clatter inside a chess hall, mostly the slamming of pieces, ticking of clocks, and cascade of countless ideas, keeps the air vibrant.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!For a few days every year, this city, better known for football chants and cricketing nostalgia, becomes the nerve centre of world chess.
But, strangely enough, the roots of this high-octane Kolkata spectacle stretch back nearly nine decades to a coastal village in the Netherlands, on the edge of the North Sea.
In 1938, at Wijk aan Zee, the tournament, then known as the Hoogovens Tournament, was conceived by the steel company Koninklijke Hoogovens with the simple aim of promoting chess as a thinking man's game for workers and intellectuals alike.
World War II halted the movement of pieces for a while, but when the world steadied itself in 1946, Wijk aan Zee returned stronger.
Over time, it became the game's most sacred annual gathering, later earning the nickname the “Wimbledon of Chess”.
In 1999, following a corporate merger, it was renamed the Corus Chess Tournament.
Champions like Mikhail Botvinnik, Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen were crowned there.
When Tata Steel acquired Corus in 2007, along with the legacy of the Wijk aan Zee tournament, the focus remained firmly on preserving the historic Dutch event.
At the same time, the acquisition opened discussions on extending Tata Steel's involvement in chess to India.
“Tata took over Wijk aan Zee, and they did not want to hamper the traditional chess tournament; they said that it would be continued. That is a very traditional, old tournament,” Dibyendu Barua, veteran grandmaster and tournament director of Tata Steel Chess India, told
TimesofIndia.com from Kolkata.
“But at the same time, they wanted to do something meaningful in India. Something different.”
That difference was later reflected in the choice of format.
Rather than replicating a classical tournament, the focus shifted to rapid and blitz chess. Jeet Banerjee, managing director of a Kolkata-based event management company, brought the concept to fruition, with Barua closely involved in its development.
“Jeet came to me and said he wanted to do something big,” Barua recalled. “India already had many open tournaments. He wanted an event that felt elite.”
Banerjee's experience managing IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders and the ICC World Cup came in handy.
“Then he approached Tata Steel. Tata Steel is always eager to contribute to sports and cultural activities. And that is the first company that started giving sponsorship to national and international-level players,” Barua added.
Kolkata was selected as the host city based on its strong sporting culture and audience engagement.
“Kolkata was chosen because Kolkata is known for its architectural style. The people are very much interested in sports and any cultural event. So that's how they said, ‘we will do it in Kolkata',” Barua, the second Indian to become a grandmaster after Viswanathan Anand, revealed.
The seventh edition of the tournament begins on January 7, effectively setting the tone for the international chess calendar.
Over the previous six editions, the event has attracted several of the world's leading players. Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Hikaru Nakamura and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave have all taken titles home from Kolkata. On a fair ground for all, Indian players have shown their mettle, with Anand winning the inaugural Blitz edition, Arjun clinching the Rapid title in 2021, then Blitz in 2022 and Nihal Sarin lifting the 2022 Rapid title.
The shorter formats have helped draw wider spectator interest in a sport traditionally associated with long playing hours.
Managing elite players in such an environment has not been an issue, according to Barua.
“We have a very professional team. Magnus, Nakamura, Anand, no issues at all. The only problem is that fans want photos and autographs. People are crazy for chess here,” he admitted.
Although the pandemic caused scheduling disruptions in recent years, the tournament has continued to grow.
“COVID affected the schedule, yes,” Barua added. “But the quality? It only improved. Every year, the strength of players goes up. The competition is becoming stronger.”
This year's shift to January was prompted by a congested international calendar, with events such as the Global Chess League and the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships held in close succession last season.
The rescheduling, however, has not diminished anticipation around the tournament.
Running parallel to the main competition is the Tata Chess Festival, which provides opportunities for amateur players, including children, to participate and engage with elite-level chess.
“It will be held over five days, and the response is always overwhelming,” Barua said. “Whenever we open registrations for the Tata Chess Festival, they fill up within a few hours, and we have to close it quickly to avoid overcrowding. We cap participation at 250 players.
“In total, across four to five days, nearly 1,000 players take part. Parents come along, and it becomes a complete festival atmosphere.”
For now, the rapid and blitz format remains central to the identity of the Kolkata event. Invitations are issued strictly based on player ratings to ensure a competitive field.
“It is completely an invitational event. Invitations are issued based on player ratings to ensure that the top players participate. If a player withdraws at the last moment due to personal reasons, the spot goes to the next highest-rated player,” added the 59-year-old tournament director.
There is no partiality involved. Over the last three years, the same rules have been followed for the women's section, with players' rapid and blitz ratings determining invitations.
While Wijk aan Zee continues to stand as a benchmark for classical chess, Kolkata has established itself as India's premier destination for elite rapid and blitz competition. As the day draws its curtains, the City of Joy will wake up to a fresh cup of tea, biscuits, and chess.
Kolkata Rapid & Blitz Event 2026 line-upOpen: Viswanathan Anand, Wesley So, Wei Yi, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Volodar Murzin, Hans Niemann, Vidit Gujrathi, Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin
Women: Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno, Divya Deshmukh, R Vaishali, Nana Dzagnidze, Harika Dronavalli, Carissa Yip, Stavroula Tsolakidou, Vantika Agrawal, Rakshitta Ravi
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