Tech Mahindra onboarded as digital partner for FIDE Chess Olympiad
Tech Mahindra onboarded as the digital partner for the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad Viswanathan Anand, five-time world chess champion, joins hands with Tech Mahindra to advise on next-generation chess tech and engagement Lausanne – June 01, 2022: The International Chess Federation and the All India Chess Federation strengthen their partnership with Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions, to provide next-generation digital fan experience by leveraging Fan Nxt.Now. As part of this global tie-up, Tech Mahindra will come on board as a digital partner for the FIDE Chess Olympiad, which will take place in India for the first time. This will be the 44th edition of the FIDE Chess Olympiad, which will be hosted in Chennai from July 28 to August 9 with the Government of Tamil Nadu as host and principal sponsor. In the Olympiad, Viswanathan Anand, five-time world chess champion and Indian chess legend, will work with Tech Mahindra and advise on next-generation chess tech and fan engagement. Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President, said: “Throughout history, chess has always been a spearhead when it comes to technology. That has been the case with the invention of the printing press, the telegraph, the internet, and artificial intelligence: chess has always been a testing ground for human inventiveness. This agreement between FIDE and Tech Mahindra continues this tradition and will allow the fans to enjoy chess through an interactive platform while giving us innovative ways of promoting the game. We are very excited to be partnering with such an innovative company, with all the possibilities that this collaboration opens for us.” Tech Mahindra will be the first corporate to come on board for the FIDE Chess Olympiad. Further, the organization will also solidify its commitment towards diversity & inclusion and associate with the FIDE Woman’s World Cup and FIDE Woman’s Grand Prix. Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy Officer & Head of Growth, Tech Mahindra, said: “The history of the game of chess goes back to almost 1500 years, and its origins can be traced back to India. It is a matter of great pride for us at Tech Mahindra to support FIDE & AICF to provide next-gen digital experience to connect with global chess fans. This is a major step forward in our commitment to enabling a digitally powered ecosystem that will help us in taking chess to its deserving position globally. With the amalgamation of new-age technologies and digital platform, we believe that this game of strategy based on the art of decision making can be popularised even more and amongst a larger audience.” Bharat Singh Chouhan, Secretary General, All India Chess Federation, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tech Mahindra on board as a digital partner for the historic occasion for chess in India. We are looking forward to working with the team in making the FIDE chess Olympiad a grand success.” Viswanathan Anand, five-time world chess champion and Indian chess legend, said, “It is a great moment for Indian chess to stage a historic Olympiad with a great team, and I am looking forward to working with FIDE, AICF, and their digital partner – Tech Mahindra. Their expertise in leveraging technology to give the chess fans a unique experience will be the big highlight of the Olympiad.” As part of the partnership, Tech Mahindra will provide digital technology solutions such as Fan Nxt.Now to redefine the experience for fans across the globe. Fan Nxt.Now will drive hyper-personalized data-driven fan experiences by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR)/ Virtual Reality (VR) and other cutting-edge technologies to bring fans closer to the game and action in real-time. About AICF AICF is the central administrative body for the game of chess in India. Founded in 1951, the federation is affiliated with Fédération Internationale des Échecs, (FIDE), the world body for chess. With 33 affiliated units, 7 special units and thousands of subsidiary units functioning under these entities spread all over the country to assist the Federation, the All India Chess Federation is very active in furthering its cause of promoting the game of chess. The vision of AICF is to make India the strongest chess-playing country in the world, both in terms of quality and number. About Tech Mahindra Tech Mahindra offers innovative and customer-centric digital experiences, enabling enterprises, associates and society to rise. We are a USD 6 billion organization with 151,000+ professionals across 90 countries, helping 1224 global customers, including Fortune 500 companies. We are focused on leveraging next-generation technologies, including 5G, Blockchain, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and more, to enable end-to-end digital transformation for global customers. Tech Mahindra is the only Indian company in the world to receive the HRH The Prince of Wales’ Terra Carta Seal for its commitment to creating a sustainable future. We are the fastest growing brand in ‘brand strength’ and amongst the top 7 IT brands globally. With the NXT.NOWTM framework, Tech Mahindra aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’ for our ecosystem and drive collaborative disruption with synergies arising from a robust portfolio of companies. Tech Mahindra aims at delivering tomorrow’s experiences today and believes that the ‘Future is Now’. We are part of the Mahindra Group, founded in 1945, one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies with 260,000 employees in over 100 countries. It enjoys a leadership position in farm equipment, utility vehicles, information technology and financial services in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It has a strong presence in renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, hospitality and real estate. The Mahindra Group has a clear focus on leading ESG globally, enabling rural prosperity and enhancing urban living, with a goal to drive positive change in the lives of communities and stakeholders to enable them to rise. Connect with us on www.techmahindra.com Our Social Media Channels: Media Contact: Abhilasha Gupta, Global Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Email: Abhilasha.Gupta@TechMahindra.com; media.relations@techmahindra.com About FIDE The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is the governing body of the sport of chess, and it regulates all international chess competitions. Constituted as a
June 2022 rating list: Youngsters keep moving up
The top ten places of the June rating list were mainly affected by the Grand Chess Tour Superbet Chess Classic, while the Bundesliga and several tournaments across Europe impacted the lower echelons of the Top-100. The GCT Superbet Chess Classic winner, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (pictured below), picked 10 rating points and returned to the top-10 after a six-month absence. Levon Aronian (+10) and Wesley So (+9) also did an excellent job in this event and reached 5th and 6th positions in the top-10 open, respectively. On the other end of the spectrum is Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who dropped 19 rating points and fell out of the top-10. Photo: Grand Chess Tour, Bryan Adams Biggest gains in TOP-100 (Open and Women) 29 / 42 Vaishali R 2442 (+33) 41 / 66 Socko, Monika 2413 (+29) 50 / 82 Antolak, Julia 2399 (+28) 61 / 85 Niemann, Hans Moke 2678 (+22) 26 / 37 Maghsoodloo, Parham 2716 (+17) 63 / 84 Najer, Evgeniy 2676 (+17) 76 / 97 Moussard, Jules 2668 (+17) 64 / 81 Gukesh D 2675 (+16) 71 / 82 Kasimdzhanov, Rustam 2672 (+13) 29 / 41 Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 2708 (+12) 51 / 68 Deac, Bogdan-Daniel 2683 (+12) IM Vaishali R of India achieved excellent results in two European tournaments – 8th Fischer Memorial and Bodensee Open – winning the first event and tying for the first place in the second, gained 33 rating points and deservedly won this nomination. Photo: Niki Riga Monica Socko and Julia Antolak from Poland made a mark in the Frauenbundesliga 2021/2022 and the Polish Women’s Championship, netting 29 and 28 rating points, respectively. Their compatriot Radoslaw Wojtaszek successfully defended his national title in the open event and picked up 12 rating points along the way. Two up-and-coming youngsters, Hans Moke Niemann of the USA and Gukesh D from India, continue ascending in the rankings. Following good performances in the TePe Sigeman, 2022 (Niemann) and the Chessable Sunway Formentera (Gukesh), both reached their career-high in the Juniors and Open rating lists. It is worth mentioning that the Indian GM increased his rating by nearly 65 points over the last three months. Parham Maghsoodloo (Iran) and Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan) delivered in the Bundesliga and notched up 16 and 13 rating points, respectively, with the Iranian (pictured below) clearing the 2700-bar for the second time in his career. Photo: Mark Livshitz Like in the previous months, some junior players made huge rating jumps. Kudos to Michalina Rudzinska (+79), Miaoyi Lu (+42), Thalia Cervantes Landeiro (+42), Jose Gabriel Cardoso (+40), Jana Schneider (+35), Leannet Mariah Bosch Valls (+35), and Jennifer Yu (+33).