Bhubaneswar, Jan 14 (.) The International Conference on Social and Educational Chess under the banner of Chess Mahakumbh was inaugurated at KIIT University on Wednesday.
Organised from January 14 to 16 with the support of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the All India Chess Federation (AICF), the conference was inaugurated by FIDE Vice President Vishwanath Anand.
The Chess Mahakumbh conference saw participation from eminent chess personalities from over
40 countries, along with 80 leading Indian players, and was expected to engage around 5,200 participants, including over 5,000 players from India, making it one of the largest chess-centric academic and social gatherings ever held in the country.
The inaugural day also witnessed the launch of key chess infrastructure and initiatives at KIIT, including the International Chess Hall and the Viswanathan Anand Chess Academy, further strengthening the university’s long-standing commitment to promoting chess at both grassroots
and international levels.
The event drew an impressive lineup of global chess administrators and legends, including FIDE President and former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE Vice President and five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand, FIDE Deputy Chair and former Finance Minister of Latvia Dana Reizniece, AICF President Nitin Narang, AICF Secretary Dev Patel, and FIDE Event Commission Member Ranjan Mohanty, among others.
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the inauguration, Viswanathan Anand praised KIIT’s consistent recognition at national platforms for institutional support to sports.
Anand said chess was a powerful educational tool, noting that students who regularly played chess often performed better academically.
He also spoke about newer initiatives linking chess with social development, including its use in prisons, and said he looked forward to seeing the programme expand further.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said the game helped develop critical life skills and cognitive abilities that were difficult to acquire through other means, making it a strong instrument for knowledge-building and personal growth.
FIDE Deputy Chair Dana Reizniece highlighted the role of chess in empowering children and aiding patients, citing a global survey conducted in 2021 which showed over 25 million children worldwide engaged in chess-based education.
She stressed the need to double that number and said KIIT University would play an active role in this global mission.
She also proposed developing a university-level academic programme around chess and wanted KIIT and KISS Founder Achyuta Samanta to take the lead.
Samanta said chess and Viswanathan Anand were inseparable.
He expressed pride that such a prestigious global conference was being hosted in Odisha for the first time and noted that over 5,000 students and players were participating, along with delegates from more than 40 countries.
He emphasised that education was about empowerment and giving back to society, adding that KIIT and KISS had long viewed chess as a powerful medium for social change.
Samanta pointed out that thousands of tribal children were actively playing the game.
He said chess was unique in breaking social barriers, enabling children from all backgrounds
to sit together on an equal footing.
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