NODWIN Gaming has entered a strategic partnership with Chess.com and ChessBase India to expand the footprint of chess as an esports discipline in India.
The collaboration aims to combine broadcast infrastructure, grassroots engagement, and global digital reach to support competitive formats, community engagement, and commercial opportunities in the growing online chess sector.
The companies plan to launch original intellectual properties, professional leagues, creator-led formats, and brand collaborations focused on chess. The initiative is positioned as a long-term investment in building infrastructure for Indian chess on both competitive and commercial fronts.
The three companies bring complementary capabilities to the partnership. NODWIN Gaming, a subsidiary of Nazara Technologies, provides expertise in esports production and monetization. ChessBase India contributes a network of grassroots players and content creators, while Chess.com offers a global platform with over 200 million users and tournament operations infrastructure.
“Chess has now become the fourth most-watched sport in the country after cricket, kabaddi, and BGMI tournaments,” said Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming. “By combining each organization’s unique strengths, we’re building a future-ready ecosystem that can take Indian chess from heritage to hype.”
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According to data shared by the companies, Chess.com recorded 7.6 billion games played globally in 2024. The platform has over 9 million monthly active users in India and adds around 550,000 new Indian users each month. Viewership metrics show a sharp increase in engagement, with 925 million organic views globally—a 640% year-on-year rise.
The companies jointly streamed the 2024 World Chess Championship match between India’s Gukesh Dommaraju and China’s Ding Liren. The broadcast drew 24 million views and reached a peak concurrent viewership of 200,000. The majority of Indian viewership occurred on mobile devices, and the 18–34 age group formed the largest demographic segment.
“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,” said Sagar Shah, CEO of ChessBase India. “With NODWIN and Chess.com by our side, we hope to bring forth more opportunities to all those involved in the chess ecosystem.”
Chess is also set to feature at the 2025 Esports World Cup with a $1.5 million prize pool. India will be represented by esports team S8UL, which will field Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram. This will be the first time Indian players compete in a global esports event under a formal chess category.
“Chess has been one of the most dominant and fastest growing sports in the last 3 years across India and the world,” said Avadh Shah, country director of Chess.com India. “Given the excitement around the sport, it is only fitting that the leading companies within the ecosystem collaborate to further its development.”
Edited by Jyoti Narayan
