India clinches both golds in World Chess Olympiad—depth, width of talent & geopolitics of sport

Summary

The video script discusses India's remarkable success in chess, highlighted by recent victories at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. It emphasizes the growth of Indian chess beyond a few prodigies, like Viswanathan Anand, to a deep talent pool with 85 Grand Masters. The script also touches on the political aspects of chess, including Russia's ban from competitions due to the Ukraine invasion and the power dynamics within the International Chess Federation.

Takeaways

• 🏆 India has won both the gold medals in the Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary, for both the Open Championship and Women's Championship.
• 🌟 India has a rich pool of chess talent with 85 Grandmasters, including three women, and 136 International Masters, out of which nine are women.
• 🔝 Indian chess players have been steadily rising in the global rankings, with Arjun Erigaisi being the highest ranked at number four in the world.
• 🎓 Viswanathan Anand, a former world champion, has been a significant influence on the growth of chess in India, inspiring many to take up the game.
• 🌍 The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has been historically dominated by Russia, which has won numerous chess Olympiads since the Soviet era.
• 🚫 Russia has been banned from the recent Chess Olympiad due to the invasion of Ukraine, reflecting the intersection of politics and sports.
• 🏁 The ban on Russia from international chess has led to a power struggle within FIDE, with a vote taking place to potentially lift the ban.
• 🏃‍♂️ India voted to maintain the ban on Russia with some relaxation for children and vulnerable groups, aligning with the International Olympic Committee's stance.
• 📈 The popularity of chess has surged globally during the pandemic, with the game gaining a new audience and sex appeal, especially after the release of 'The Queen's Gambit' on Netflix.
• 🤼‍♂️ Politics and sports are closely intertwined, as seen in the banning of Russian athletes from international competitions and the influence of Russian officials in sports federations.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Indian chess team's recent victory in Budapest?

The Indian chess team's victory in Budapest is significant because it marked India's emergence as a real chess power, winning both the open and women's gold medals at the chess Olympiad, which is a major international chess competition.

Who are some of the top Indian chess players mentioned in the script?

Some of the top Indian chess players mentioned include Viswanathan Anand, Arjun Erigaisi, Prananda, Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, D. Harika, Vashali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Tania Sachdev, and Vantika Agrawal.

What is the role of Viswanathan Anand in the rise of Indian chess?

Viswanathan Anand played a pivotal role in the rise of Indian chess by becoming world number one and inspiring other Indian players. He also served as a role model, showing that Indians could compete at the highest levels of chess.

How has the number of Indian Grandmasters evolved over time?

India now has 85 Grandmasters in chess, which is a significant increase from the past when having just one Grandmaster was a cause for celebration. This growth reflects the depth and strength of Indian chess.

What is the impact of the ban on Russian chess players from international competitions?

The ban on Russian chess players has impacted the dynamics of international chess competitions, as Russia has been a dominant force in chess for many decades. It has led to a shift in the balance of power and opportunities for other countries like India and China to excel.

Why were Russian athletes not allowed to compete under their own flag at the Paris Olympics?

Russian athletes were not allowed to compete under their own flag at the Paris Olympics due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They were permitted to compete as independent athletes, but not if they had supported the invasion.

What is the connection between politics and chess as discussed in the script?

The script discusses how politics and chess are intertwined, with examples such as the ban on Russian players from competitions due to political tensions, and the historical impact of political decisions on chess Olympiads, including past boycotts and the influence of powerful figures in chess federations.

How did the popularity of chess increase during the pandemic?

The popularity of chess increased during the pandemic as people stayed at home and engaged in the game. The release of the Netflix series 'The Queen's Gambit' also contributed to a new 'sex appeal' for chess, attracting more interest.

What is the controversy surrounding the International Boxing Association and Russian control?

The controversy involves the International Boxing Association, which has been controlled by Russians for a long time. This control has led to issues such as the ban on Russian athletes and the gender controversy surrounding the Algerian boxer Iman Khelif, which was influenced by political and organizational power dynamics.

How has the rise of India and China in chess impacted the global chess landscape?

The rise of India and China in chess has introduced new competitive forces in the global chess landscape, challenging the traditional dominance of countries like Russia and the former Soviet republics. This shift is part of a broader geopolitical power dynamic in sports.

Outlines

00:00

🏆 Indian Chess Dominance

The script discusses India's recent success in chess, highlighting the country's victory in both the open and women's championships at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. It mentions the depth of India's chess talent, with numerous Grandmasters and International Masters, and the influence of Viswanathan Anand on the growth of chess in India. The speaker also reflects on their own limited chess experience and the historical significance of the 1972 Spassky-Fischer match.

05:01

🌟 Celebrating Chess Prodigies

This section of the script celebrates India's chess prodigies, providing a detailed list of players who contributed to India's gold medals, including their FIDE rankings. It emphasizes the growth of Indian chess beyond a single star to a strong collective, with a focus on the current and future potential of Indian chess players. The speaker also notes the absence of Viswanathan Anand from the team and the presence of other high-ranking Indian players like Koneru Humpy.

10:04

🔍 Chess and Global Politics

The script explores the intersection of chess and global politics, particularly the ban on Russia from international chess competitions due to the invasion of Ukraine. It discusses the historical dominance of the Soviet Union and Russia in chess and the current power dynamics within the International Chess Federation. The speaker also touches on the impact of the pandemic and the popularity of chess, as well as the upcoming World Chess Championship in Singapore featuring Indian and Chinese grandmasters.

15:04

🤼‍♂️ Politics in Sports

In this part, the script delves into the influence of politics on sports, using the example of Russia's ban from international competitions and the workarounds Russian athletes have employed to participate. It also references other sports like wrestling and boxing, where politics have played a significant role, such as the controversy surrounding the Algerian boxer Iman Khelif. The speaker concludes by drawing a parallel between the strategic nature of chess and the cutthroat world of politics.

Keywords

💡Chess Olympiad

The Chess Olympiad is a biennial international chess tournament. It is one of the most important international team chess events. In the script, the Chess Olympiad is mentioned as a platform where India has recently won gold medals in both the open and women's categories, showcasing India's rising prowess in chess.

💡Vishwanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand is an Indian chess grandmaster and former World Chess Champion. He is considered one of the greatest chess players in the history of the game. In the script, Anand's rise is credited with revolutionizing chess in India, inspiring many to take up the game and compete at the highest levels.

💡Mutual Funds

Mutual funds are investment vehicles made up of a pool of funds collected from many investors for investing in securities like stocks, bonds, and money market instruments. The script mentions mutual funds as a way of investing rather than just saving money, suggesting a more active approach to financial growth.

💡Market Risks

Market risks refer to the chance that the value of an investment will decrease due to factors affecting the financial markets. The script cautions that mutual fund investments are subject to market risks, indicating the need for careful consideration and understanding before investing.

💡FIDE

FIDE stands for Fédération Internationale des Échecs, which is the International Chess Federation. It is the governing body of international chess competition. The script uses FIDE rankings to highlight the skill and standing of Indian chess players on the global stage.

💡Grandmasters

A Grandmaster is a title awarded to chess players by FIDE and is often abbreviated as GM. It is often mentioned as the highest title a chess player can attain. The script notes that India has 85 Grandmasters, reflecting the country's depth in chess talent.

💡International Masters

International Master is a title in chess, awarded by FIDE, that is below Grandmaster but above FIDE Master. The script mentions India having 136 International Masters, indicating a broad base of strong chess players.

💡Politics in Sports

Politics in sports refers to the influence of political issues or policies on sports events, organizations, or athletes. The script discusses how Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to their ban from international chess competitions, illustrating the intersection of politics and sports.

💡Ban on Russia

The ban on Russia from international chess competitions is a consequence of the country's political actions. The script discusses the implications of this ban, including the historical dominance of Russia in chess and the current geopolitical tensions.

💡Gender Test

A gender test in sports is a method used to verify an athlete's biological sex. The script refers to a controversy involving an Algerian boxer where questions about her gender led to a ban by the international boxing association, highlighting ongoing debates about fairness in sports.

💡Cerebral Game

A cerebral game is one that requires mental effort and intellectual skill rather than physical activity. Chess is described as a cerebral game in the script, emphasizing the strategic thinking and analytical skills needed to excel in it.

Highlights

Legends know never to ask a bride why she's getting married.

Don't wear a skirt on a windy day.

Saving is not investing; Legends invest in mutual funds.

India's Prime Minister is in New York, a potential discussion topic.

Controversy over 'Tupa' involves politics and religion.

Incident in Odisha involving an army officer, his fiance, and police.

The speaker chooses to discuss chess instead of current events.

Vishwanathan Anand's rise to world number one in chess.

India's chess team wins gold in both open and women's championships in Budapest.

India's chess depth is evident with 85 Grand Masters.

India has 136 International Masters in chess.

India's chess power is celebrated with a focus on its growth and talent.

Vishwanathan Anand's influence on Indian chess and his world championships.

Politics in chess with Russia's ban from competitions due to the Ukraine invasion.

Historical dominance of the Soviet Union and Russia in chess.

The rise of India and China in chess and their impact on global chess politics.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) assembly and the vote on Russia's ban.

The influence of Russian wrestlers even when competing under other national flags.

Politics and sports are intertwined, affecting competitions and athletes' participation.

Transcripts

are you sure here's the 30C lesson on

what Legends know never ask a bride why

she's getting married don't wear a skirt

on a windy

[Music]

day dant is not a

shower don't sniff chil flee and don't

forget saving is not investing Legends

don't just save they invest in mutual

funds mutual fund Investments are

subject to Market risks read old scheme

related documents carefully

thinking about a subject for kutak

clutter today we were spoiled for

choices the prime minister is in New

York so that's the obvious one that

would have been an easy one to do then

there is also this controversy over Tupa

lus that's that has politics that has

religion that has a lot of things put

into it so that is again a very

fascinating story and a very complex one

so there is clutter there and the third

one is also this unfortunate incident

that's happened in odisha involving an

army officer his fiance and odisha

police again there is a lot to talk

about but you know what we are doing we

are stepping away from all three of

these and indulging ourselves I'm IND

indulging myself for two reasons one

because I know you are forgiving you are

very forgiving you let me stray into

areas which may not be making big big

headlines and which may may not be on

your evening discussion sessions as I

often do when I stay into Africa and

second because it forces me to learn

something new one of the main

contributions that k letter has made to

my life is that it's making me learn new

things making me more curious about

things that I know very little about for

example chess now the last time I sat on

a chess board may have been maybe

seriously may have been several decades

ago maybe I sat with my neighbors Grand

Grand child a few times lost each time

that's how it happens when you sit with

a 5year old or a sixy old or a seveny

old but serious chess of any at any

competitive level even with a friend

must have been in the mid 7s or early

70s and why because that is when the

spasi Fisher matchup Boris spasi from

Soviet Union Bobby Fisher from America

Two prodigies playing in

1972 that had that had fired the world's

imagination about Chess so that is

around time I was an early college I

don't think I played chess since then

however I've been watching like any

sports fan the progress of Indian chess

lately in the progress of Indian chess

first of all the progress became visible

with the rise of with the arrival of one

Indian Prodigy that is vishwanathan

Anand who became world number one he is

also featured twice on walk the talk and

I will try to share those links with you

but now lately you've seen Indian chess

really growing and it is not now riding

on the shoulders or the Mind brilliant

mind of just one person or two persons

now India has a lot of depth and a

tribute to that depth is the fact that

India has just won in Budapest in

Hungary India has just won both the gold

medals that is for the Open Championship

open means where anybody can play and

second only for women so both open Open

championship and women's India has won a

gold this is not India's first gold

India also won a gold in 2020 allbe that

was a gold shared with with Russia that

was shared with Russia because 2020 was

an online Championship remember that was

the peak of the first wave of covid and

the whole world was scared and indoors

that Championship ended up being shared

simply because there was too much

disruption and Indian players in

particular did not did not find it easy

to connect and to play so that's how

that gold medal was shared this gold

medal however is fully India's both gold

medals men as well as women so before we

talk more about Chess let me first read

out to you the names of This Magnificent

men and women who brought this Pride to

India that is d goes world number seven

I will also read their current FID

rankings from the FID website FID is the

FID is the international Chess

Federation like many of these

federations it's based in a frankophone

location in this case Loan in

Switzerland so would be Federation

International D J Sheek Sheek in French

is chess I'm listing these players who

participated according to their FID

ranking so number one number one is

Arjun arasi Arjun arasi is number four

in the world on F rankings then number

seven is D GES number 12 in FID ranking

is our prananda number 24 is vidit

Gujarati and number 41 is pentella har

Krishna one is a reserve the team is

four players one is a reserve of course

vishwanathan Anand is number 11 in FID

rankings he was not in the team then

there is the women's team women's team

again B based on their rankings D harika

that is number 11 D Hara is harika

davali D for davali vashali Ramesh Babu

is number 12 FID rankings for

women Divya deshmuk number 15 Tanya

sajev number 58 and vanti agrawal number

75 so these are the world ranking

Indians who brought us these two gold

medals which is a wonderful thing and

she may not be playing there right now

in the chess Olympiad like vishwanathan

Anand but there is also konu Hy who's

the highest ranking Indian wom player at

this point number six on fed rankings so

that's a lot of Chess power and if you

think this is not enough I'll give you

some more data so India now has 85 Grand

Masters in chess 85 there was a time we

would celebrate if one Grand Master Rose

85 Grand Masters in chess of these of

these 85 three are women now put this in

perspective to put this in perspective

I'll give you the total numbers there's

a total of 1,77

2 Grand Masters in the whole world

1772 of whom 41 are women out of these

now 85 are Indian Grand Masters and

three women three of 41 then

International Masters that's the second

category International Masters the total

number of international Masters in the

world is 3893

3,893 of which 134 are women India has

136 International Masters out of these

and chances are many of them will grow

to be grand Masters these are very tough

Norms they have to pass these norms and

get there but chances are many many of

them would because they are growing of

the 136 International Masters in India

nine are women and again there's a

ranking of women Grand masters of which

there are 336 in the world India has 18

of those that's the ranking of women gr

master so India has a lot of depth and a

lot of width as far as its chess power

is concerned so India has now become a

real chess power which needs to be

celebrated I only given you the names

and details of the players who were

contesting in this chess Olympiad and

vishan Anand and konu H but as I look at

the FID rankings I find more names but

as I look at the FID rankings I find

even more names so check out this depth

arvind chetram VR at number

33 nihal serin at number number 59 very

young fellow among women there is also

bakti Kar at 84 so there's a lot of

people I found another very Indian

sounding name Manish gir at number 22

but as it turns out he he plays for the

Netherlands so once again just as you

celebrate your cricket stars you

celebrate n Chopra in athletics you

celebrate your wrestlers let's also

celebrate our chess players because it's

a cerebral game you have to be nuts to

be repeating that but let me just say

that it's a very tough game it's also a

game in which they've been very dominant

powers for a very long time and

particularly the Soviet Union and the

former Soviet republics and that's why

it was very difficult for players from

other countries particularly from India

to break into this and that's where the

rise of vishwanathan Anand

revolutionized everything because what

did it do just as capil D did with his

team in 1983 at LS or Ms dhony with his

team in 2011 in Mumbai or s of ganguli

with his test team at Eden Gardens 2001

vishwanathan Anand convinced Indians

that they could be World beaters and

since then there's been no stopping so

Anand became world champion fed world

champion 2000 he was world champion from

2000 to 2002 then unified World chess

champion 2007 to

2013 and it's in his way that a lot of

this other Talent has risen in fact even

now when the international chess

federations assembly was taking place in

Budapest on the sidelines of the

championship Anand who's currently the

vice president of fiday he presided over

the Assembly of fiday at Budapest on the

sidelines of the chess Olympiad also

because aradi dcoic who is the current

president he's a Russian is a former

Russian Deputy Prime Minister a Putin

Ally he couldn't be there because

Russians have been banned from competing

in World Chess since their invasion of

Ukraine and just as their troops fight

on the ground Russian and Ukrainian

officials and politicians have also been

fighting a big brutal power game in

international Chess Federation which

gives us the Quee to get into what seems

to be our favorite sport which is

politics in this case international

sports so even as we look at this Chess

Championship we can't we can't Overlook

the fact that Russia has been banned

from it and we'll talk a little bit

about this politics because it's very

important because Russia the ban on

Russia means a bit like you can hold an

ICC World Cup T20 ODI World test

Championship whatever if you banned

Australia or India maybe India or

Australia in that in in in that order

how do you then hold a world

championship if you look at Russia and

before that Soviet Union this Russia is

a successor state of Soviet Union since

the Soviet Union first

started appearing in the World Chess

Olympiad 195 2 to

1974 they won every World Championship

all 12 titles so Soviet Union had a

clean sweep over 22 years

1976 once again there was politics 1976

Soviet Union could not play here because

1976 fiday awarded the hosting of the

world championship to hia in Israel now

many countries in the Soviet block led

by the Soviet Union and in the Islamic

block they boycotted that Championship

on the other hand they held their own

little championship in Libya in Tripoli

that was called believe it or not

against chess Olympiad so while there

was a chess Olympiad going on in HiFi in

Israel there was an against chess

Olympia going on in Tripoli there's an

interesting little sidelight there

Soviet Union wasn't there El Salvador

won that against chess Olympiad gold

medal but that is the only time where

pakistanis got a Lans so Pakistani won

the equivalent of the Bron bronze medal

there finishing at number three that

said 1978 the Americans won 1980 1980

the Soviet Union was back and between

1980 and 1990 they won it again six

times all six times and then now Soviet

Union ceased to exist but Russia was

there as successor state so 92 to 2002

Russia won it six times and what

happened after that it was still the

former Soviet Republic so see after 2002

come to 2004 Ukraine 2006 Armenia

Ukraine Armenia Armenia Ukraine Armenia

that was the next five championships and

then 2014 one more power rose that is

China so

2014 and 18 the Chinese won the World

Chess Olympia by this time India was

Rising as well and as we told you

earlier 2020 IND became the joint

winners now India are the winners now to

understand the politics of Chess a

little bit better because now it's part

of the global power politics because

it's Russia versus the West I'm sharing

a couple of articles with you one from

BBC a couple from BBC and one from my

friend and fellow traveler limousine

liberal James Crabtree in financial

times he is he has talked about how

chess became internationally much more

popular during the pandemic because

people stayed at home this is also the

time when Netflix released the Queen's

Gambit so it gave chess the game of

chess a new sex appeal people were were

indoors and that brought about a boom

now that boom has led to the rise of

India and China in fact later this year

in Singapore they will be the next World

Chess Championship where two grand

masters from India and China will be

competing he reminds us he also tells us

he also reminds us that for the longest

time World Chess intern National Chess

Federation FID has been controlled by

the Russians the power there has been

with the Russians as much as in some

ways power with the international boxing

Association has been with Russians

whereby also lies a little tail on the

side which I will bring to you in a

minute he writes also how for quite some

time FID was headed by a Nutty Russian

oligarch Kiran ilum zenov Kiran iliam

zenov was so nutty he actually claimed

that he had been kidnapped by aliens

once right so maybe if he writes a book

about that Netflix could make a make a

film on that as well now it is given

that Russian control and Russian power

that the Western World also while they

banned the Russians they are struggling

so during this edition of Chess Olympiad

again the FID assembly met and there was

a vote called kistan moved a vote for

lifting the ban on Russia however the

Western Powers the others got in Russia

doesn't have that much support so

country's voting were given three

options one was a complete ban on Russia

no relaxation one was a ban but in

consultation with International Olympic

Committee to which fed is Affiliated

some concessions so children in Russia

could participate and also vulnerable

categories of people could participate

and the third choice was to completely

lift the ban so to completely lift the

ban only 21 voted for a total ban for 41

voted and banned with some relaxation

for children and vulnerable groups in

consultation with ioc 66 voted so they

had the majority India voted alongside

them Ukrainian chess president who was

there and he's an influential person in

Ukrainian politics Alexander kamishin he

is also a close Aid of zilinski he was

there and he made a statement that look

all you guys have to think again before

you even talk of letting Russia in

Ukraine has lost already 20 21 chess

players in the fightings that is how

intense this politics gets in fact I

can't let you go away before taking you

back just a few weeks at the Paris

Olympics at the Paris Olympics also

Russia was not allowed to compete so

Russians were told they can't compete

but they can compete as independent

athletes but if an as an independent

athlete also if you had ever supported

Russia's invasion of Ukraine you could

not compete and that's how one of

Russia's top most wrestlers who was a

defending champion in his category that

is 97 kg freestyle Abdul Rashid sadv he

was not allowed to come and defend his

title what did the Russians do some

Russians of course came in as

independent competitors they won a gold

medal as well in gymnastics but just

like the depth in chess that the

Russians have they also have depth in

wrestling so lots of Russian wrestlers

then triy to go and compete for other

nations six of them won medals one of

them Ahmed tudino he won the 97 kg gold

for bahin right he wrapped himself in

the B banian flag when the Press later

asked him questions he didn't know a

word of Arabic he said I will go to bin

because I won the gold medal for them I

will go there and and then go right back

to my parents to my Village in dagistan

in Russia along with my medal right and

also similarly Ram zamalo who won the

gold medal similarly in the 74 kg

category for ARA now this is the great

Russian wrestling team which won five

medals out of six categories in Tokyo

Olympics of which three were Golds

Russia is a real superpower in wrestling

again at London they won four medals out

of seven categories including two goals

now now they were not allowed to compete

but see what their wrestlers are doing

and these are not the top Russian

wrestlers because top Russian wrestlers

will not go and play for another country

these are the B and C category Russian

wrestlers so four more who competed for

other countries also got medals that is

Islam D for Albania Sherman VV for

Albania again Doren kurv for Greece me

mov for aeran all four of them won

bronze medals for their adopted

countries in these Olympics so that's

the complexity that politics causes in

sport as well I told you about boxing as

well now you remember the controversy

over Iman KH the Algerian boxer about

whose gender questions were raised she

won the gold medal in her category now

international boxing Association had

banned her they had banned her because

they said she did not pass the gender

test however the international Olympic

Committee banned the international

boxing Association and they said look we

have no we have no such problems we we

go by the gender mentioned on somebody's

passport and that's how Iman khif was

able to compete just as I said to you

earlier international box Association is

also headed by Russia and it's been

controlled by Russians for a very long

time that's the reason we say that

politics and Sport always go together

but talking about Sport and politics I

have to say something about Chess on

both chess boards of Politics as well as

real chess every move you make is a move

to kill except in the game of chess you

can never kill your own not so in

politics

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]