On a crisp winter evening in Kolkata, as fog descends upon the historic Maidan and the city's iconic hand-pulled rickshaws wind down, a different kind of energy pulses from a chess hall. The air vibrates with the sharp clatter of pieces, the relentless ticking of clocks, and the silent cascade of countless strategic ideas. For a few days each year, this city, celebrated for its football passion and cricketing nostalgia, transforms into the vibrant nerve centre of world chess.
From Dutch Shores to Indian Chess Capital
The fascinating origins of this high-octane Kolkata spectacle trace back nearly nine decades and thousands of kilometres away, to a coastal village in the Netherlands. In 1938, in Wijk aan Zee, the Hoogovens Tournament was born. Conceived by the steel company Koninklijke Hoogovens, its aim was simple: to promote chess as a thinking person's game for workers and intellectuals alike.
World War II temporarily halted the movement of pieces, but the tournament returned stronger in 1946. Over decades, it evolved into the game's most sacred annual gathering, earning the moniker “the Wimbledon of Chess.” Following a corporate merger, it was renamed the Corus Chess Tournament in 1999. This hallowed ground has crowned legends like Mikhail Botvinnik, Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand, and Magnus Carlsen.
Tata Steel's Vision: Preserving Legacy and Creating Something New for India
When Tata Steel acquired Corus in 2007, it inherited the storied legacy of the Wijk aan Zee tournament. The company was committed to preserving the historic Dutch event. Simultaneously, the acquisition sparked discussions about extending Tata Steel's chess involvement to its home country, 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, explained. “But at the same time, they wanted to do something meaningful in India. Something different.”
That difference materialized in the chosen format. Instead of replicating a classical tournament, the focus shifted decisively to the faster, more dynamic rapid and blitz chess. Jeet Banerjee, managing director of a Kolkata-based event management company, brought the concept to life with Barua's guidance. Banerjee's experience managing the IPL's Kolkata Knight Riders and the ICC World Cup proved invaluable.
“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',” revealed Barua, the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to become a grandmaster.
The Kolkata Chess Festival: A Grand Stage for Elite and Amateur Players
The seventh edition of the Tata Steel Chess India tournament begins on January 7, effectively setting the tone for the international chess calendar. Over six previous editions, it has attracted the world's elite. Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Hikaru Nakamura, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave have all claimed titles here.
Indian stars have shone brightly on this fair stage. Viswanathan Anand won the inaugural Blitz edition, Arjun Erigaisi clinched the Rapid title in 2021 and the Blitz in 2022, and Nihal Sarin lifted the 2022 Rapid title. The shorter, spectator-friendly formats have successfully drawn wider interest to a sport often associated with marathon sessions.
Running parallel to the main invitational is the Tata Chess Festival, a platform for amateur players and children. “Whenever we open registrations for the Tata Chess Festival, they fill up within a few hours,” Barua said. Participation is capped at 250 per event, with nearly 1,000 players taking part over four to five days, creating a complete festival atmosphere.
Invitations for the main event are issued strictly based on player ratings to ensure a fiercely competitive field, a rule also applied to the women's section for the last three years. While Wijk aan Zee remains the benchmark for classical chess, Kolkata has firmly established itself as India's premier destination for elite rapid and blitz competition. As another day ends, the City of Joy prepares to wake up to a fresh cup of tea, biscuits, and the beautiful game of chess.
Kolkata Rapid & Blitz 2026 Line-up:
Open: 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
