Game of kings fast earning popularity in Jalandhar, online coaching a big hit

The game of kings is steadily becoming the game of the young in Jalandhar. From school corridors and coaching academies to district-level championships and international tournaments, chess is witnessing a remarkable surge in popularity in the city.

What was once considered a niche indoor pastime has now evolved into a competitive sport attracting hundreds of children and teenagers. Coaches and organisers say the rise of Indian chess stars such as Gukesh Dommaraju and Viswanathan Anand have inspired youngsters in Jalandhar to take up the sport seriously.

The biggest boost to the city’s growing chess culture has come from the achievements of local players on the international stage. Recently, Namitbir Singh Walia brought laurels to Punjab by becoming the state’s second International Master (IM). He achieved the feat after securing the fourth overall position at the 3rd Annemasse International Masters Tournament in France.

Namitbir’s success has created excitement among aspiring chess players in the city. Coaches say parents are increasingly approaching chess academies being run in different schools and privately to enrol their children, seeing the game as a blend of intelligence, discipline and competitive opportunity.

Before Namitbir, it was Dushyant Sharma who had created history for Punjab. On February 1, 2022, Dushyant became the first-ever International Master from the state after crossing the 2400 FIDE rating mark. Significantly, both IMs belong to Jalandhar and hence are testament to the city’s emergence as Punjab’s leading chess hub.

The city has also witnessed a sharp increase in chess tournaments and participation levels in recent years. The first Finnov8 Capital Open Chess Tournament held at DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology drew nearly 220 players from over 25 cities, making it one of the region’s largest open chess events in August last year.

School-level events too are drawing enthusiastic participation. Delhi Public School organised a two-day Jalandhar District Chess Championship in the last week of April. As many as 180 schoolgirls and boys took part in the championship across categories including Under-7, Under-9, Under-13 and Under-17. The prize winners in the Under-7 category were kindergarten children.

Young players such as Utkrisht Tuli and Shreyansh Jain, both from the local Innocent Hearts School, have excelled in national and state championships recently, thus motivating budding players in the city.

Chess coaches believe that the city now has the ecosystem needed to produce stronger national-level players. A chess coach of Jalandhar Kanwarjit Singh says, “The biggest advantage that chess players are getting these days is online coaching. Earlier, I used to physically go and give training to kids individually or in groups, but now children are preferring software-based training. It is a faster and a better means of coaching wherein a lot of times is saved in creating different positions.”

“Regular tournaments, online chess platforms, professional coaching and parental encouragement are helping create a strong foundation,” he confirmed.