NODWIN Gaming, Chess.com and ChessBase India partner to strengthen chess esports ecosystem

New Delhi: NODWIN Gaming has entered into a strategic partnership with Chess.com and ChessBase India to develop the future of chess esports in the country.

The partnership brings together expertise from esports production, global digital platforms, and grassroots chess to build a comprehensive ecosystem for competitive and creator-led chess content.

NODWIN Gaming will oversee production, broadcast, and commercial strategy, while ChessBase India brings its grassroots network and content platform. Chess.com will contribute its global infrastructure, creator community, and tournament hosting capabilities.

The collaboration is expected to support co-creation of new intellectual properties, offer competitive formats, engage players and creators, and provide commercial opportunities for brands. According to the companies, the move responds to the rising popularity of chess in India and globally, particularly among younger, mobile-first audiences.

“Chess is undergoing a cultural renaissance, from park benches and schoolrooms to sold-out esports arenas and creator streams. Chess has now become the fourth most-watched sport in the country after cricket, kabaddi, and BGMI tournaments. With this partnership, we’re not just supporting a heritage game, we’re aiding in its natural course of progression. By combining each organisation’s unique strengths, we’re building a future-ready ecosystem that can take Indian chess from heritage to hype. It’s time the brilliance of our grandmasters meets the energy of our digital generation,” said Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming.

In 2024, Chess.com recorded over 7.6 billion games played globally and currently has more than 200 million registered users. India contributes over 9 million monthly active players, with around 550,000 new signups each month. Mobile usage dominates, with over 80% of Indian viewers accessing chess content via smartphones.

The growth has also extended to streaming. A recent World Chess Championship match between Gukesh Dommaraju and Ding Liren, which was broadcast by the three partners, attracted 24 million views in India, peaking at 200,000 concurrent viewers.

Sagar Shah, CEO of ChessBase India, said: “This partnership is not just a business alliance it’s a vision to grow the chess community in India from the grassroots to the grand stage. For the last decade, we’ve focused on building a robust chess culture in the country, and now, with NODWIN and Chess.com by our side, we hope to bring forth more opportunities to all those involved in the chess ecosystem.”

Avadh Shah, Country Director of Chess.com India, said: “Chess has been one of the most dominant and fastest growing sports in the last 3 years across India and the world. In terms of both participation and viewership, chess is experiencing record-breaking numbers—the highest we’ve ever seen. Given the excitement around the sport, it is only fitting that the leading companies within the ecosystem collaborate to further its development and invite partners to join this journey as well.”

The initiative coincides with chess’s growing acceptance as a formal esports discipline. At the upcoming Esports World Cup 2025, the sport will be featured for the first time, with a prize pool of $1.5 million. Indian esports organisation S8UL will represent the country, with grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram on its roster.