The International Conference on Social and Educational Chess, held under the banner of Chess Mahakumbh, was inaugurated at KIIT University today, marking the beginning of a first-of-its-kind mega chess conclave in India. Organised from January 14 to 16 with the support of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the All India Chess Federation (AICF), the conference brought global attention to the role of chess as a tool for education and social transformation.
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 line-up 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 said he was delighted to return to Bhubaneswar and praised KIIT’s consistent recognition at national platforms for its institutional support to sports. He described KIIT’s social initiatives as laudable and spoke of the transformative impact the institution had made in the region. Anand underlined that 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 these programmes expand further.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich thanked Dr Achyuta Samanta for his passion and unwavering commitment to the promotion of chess. He 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 supporting patients, citing a global survey conducted in 2021 which showed that over 25 million children worldwide were 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 centred on chess, seeking Dr Samanta’s involvement in taking the initiative forward.
KIIT and KISS Founder Dr Achyuta Samanta described the occasion as historic, saying 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.
Dr Samanta also highlighted how chess had reached grassroots communities through KISS, pointing out that thousands of tribal children were actively playing the game. He said chess was unique in its ability to break social barriers, enabling children from all backgrounds to sit together on an equal footing.
FIDE currently has 201 member countries, underscoring chess’s truly global reach. Dr Samanta reiterated that chess was perhaps the only sport where no social or economic barriers existed, a sentiment reflected in the widespread participation of KISS students and players from diverse backgrounds at the event.
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.
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