Chess has come some way from being an elite sport to a spectator-friendly one. Efforts to make it more appealing to not just the dedicated fan/audience have gained momentum. Commentary in chess tournament may come as a bit of a surprise but appears to be one of the ways to bring the sport closer to the audience.
The Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters tournament in the metropolis saw the commentators enjoy their time under the sun, with an enthusiastic crowd playing along rather well.
Tania Sachdev, an International Master, who has taken to commentary like fish to water, was among the commentators who provided live broadcast at the Chennai Grandmasters tournament venue and her high-octane analysis kept fans who grew in numbers by the day, engaged.
She was hugely popular among youngsters, with many seeking for an autograph and and a photograph. The 38-year-old, who is a Chess Olympiad gold medallist and has many titles in her kitty, has an affinity for commentary too.
Tania plays on and off these days but doesn’t seem to miss being at the board. “I love commentating. I don’t think I love playing as much as I used to. So it’s not a job for me. It’s a joy and privilege to be able to do what I do,” she said during the tournament.
“And yeah, my dream is that chess will be watched by millions of people across the world. And they can feel the emotions of the game. And I hope I can help in that,” she said, emphasising her love for speaking about the sport.
Sahaj Grover.
| Photo Credit:
B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
Sharing commentary duties with Tania were Sahaj Grover, a Grandmaster, Sagar Shah, an IM himself, Kincso Toth, a Hungarian player, Rakesh Kulkarni, also an IM.
Sahaj, a World under-10 champion in 2005, said he was enjoying the stint in commentary and loved doing it.
“I am enjoying speaking on chess. It is something I love. Well, in the beginning it was a bit strange, I’m not going to lie, because you know, chess players are very quiet!”
Talking about the shift in roles, he said, “So it was a bit of a change for me to be a commentator because I have to speak a lot, I need to do that with a certain energy.
“Just like I tried to become a good player, I’m trying to be a good commentator as well (laughs).”
He is all for encouraging fans’ participation during live commentary at tournaments. In Chennai, “I was happy that there were a lot of segments here, when we were interacting with the audience. I think one day there was just a whole school, one class was here and we were asking them questions. They were very excited, and were shouting the moves. They came on the stage as well.” Grover wants to see more of this happening in different tournaments.
He is also of the opinion that chess commentary would be sustainable as long as the Indian players do well in the sport.
High on energy
Grover said he enjoyed the stint at the Chennai Grandmasters event.
Chennai is special, he said. “…there is energy everywhere! But here we have extra energy because we are in Chennai. It is the heart of Indian chess and because Vishy Sir (five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand) is from here, D. Gukesh, Pragg (Praggnanandhaa)… so many of them. It is awesome to come to the city. So many good players from Chennai and that’s where the energy comes from. It comes from the fans, it comes from my co-commentators, it comes from the players.”
Kincso Toth.
Hungarian Toth was excited to be sharing the commentary booth with the likes of Tania, Sahaj and Sagar. “It is my first big gig,” she said with a big smile.
“Loved the audience. Loved that people got together to meet not only the players but the commentators as well,” she added.
The professionalism of her fellow commentators seemed to rub off on her. “The bunch (of commentators) are so professional that it makes it really easy to work with them. And you can also learn so much. So, my experience has actually been great here.”
The 22-year-old from Budapest said she would love to juggle playing and commentary. “I mean, I enjoy doing both. I love chess. I love being around the sport and I’ve been doing a lot of chess related work here and there.”
The Hungarian is hopeful that she will make a career out of chess commentary.
“I really hope I can. I enjoy it (chess) a lot and I would definitely love to continue,” the chess player from the land of the Polgars and Peter Leko, said.
Enjoying the role
Rakesh Kulkarni, on his part, said he was enjoying the role of commentating and taking the game to the people.
Having got into the business of commentary after giving up his playing career, Kulkarni said he was approached by Chess.com to start its India page and have more presence in India.
Thus, he began covering the Indian juniors and the country’s top players winning at tournaments. “Slowly, I also started analysing the game.
“It’s so much more, you know, pleasurable to commentate and take the game to a wider audience. So, it’s always nice to get more people into the game. I really love to spread the game, get in more players. Convert those people if they have a choice between maybe cricket and chess, trying to slowly getting them into chess is always nice,” he commented.
Kulkarni was enthused with the experience he had at the Chennai Grandmasters, especially, the interactive part. “Getting the players also to join the team of commentators and asking them questions. It was great. They also feel connected. They want to see what’s happening live. Then the players sometimes come on the stage and share their thoughts. So, it’s a great setup what we have here.”
He said commentary in chess is a great career. “You get to call the action. You know, players can take a break or can have their ups and downs. But the commentator is always there to share the highs and lows of the players with spectators. And the more someone is emotionally involved, the better it is for the chess world.”
He says a commentator can sustain oneself because “there’s going to be some Indian playing in some part of the world. So, there are going to be lots of opportunities, lots of events. And the best part for us commentators, they (Indian players) don’t just play, they also win.”
Commentary in chess may be a new trend but it is sure becoming a hit. With the number of Indians performing well in events across the world, the future does appear rosy for commentators.
