‘The missing piece is how it's presented': Behind ‘Checkmate: USA vs India' plan to shake up the chess scene

In an exclusive interaction with Firstpost, Salim Belcadi of Checkmate Strategic Ventures explains how the upcoming 'Checkmate: USA vs India' event aims to reimagine chess as a global sport and bring it into the mainstream. read more
The upcoming 'Checkmate: USA vs India' event will be headlined by the showdown between D Gukesh and Hikaru Nakamura. Image credit: FIDE/Michal Walusza
There have been attempts to revamp the game of chess as we know it and try and make it more popular among the younger crowd. While Standard, or Classical, chess remains the cornerstone of the board game that has had international tournaments in existence for nearly two centuries, faster formats such as rapid and blitz have been gaining popularity all over the world, which might have something to do with the ever-decreasing attention spans of the social media generation.
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Newer versions such as Freestyle Chess, a.k.a. Chess960, have attempted to reinvent the board game by introducing an element of unpredictability, and the inaugural Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour that is currently underway is attempting to spread the format's popularity across the globe.
Despite all the changes that chess has gone through over the years with the introduction of faster and unique formats, chess largely remains a niche sport. What drives home that fact is how chess hasn't been able to garner enough interest for it to appear on television sets, which is where the masses still are.
After all, the live coverage of some of the world's biggest events including the FIDE World Championship, Candidates Tournament and more is still limited to online streaming on platforms such as YouTube and Chess.com.
Reimagining chess as a global sport
The organisers of ' Checkmate: USA vs India ', however, intend to change that perception when they host a showdown between two of the strongest chess federations in the latest FIDE 'Open' Ratings against each other at Arlington in the state of Texas, USA in October.
'The idea for Checkmate started taking shape in late 2023. We asked ourselves: what if we re-imagined chess as a global sport, with the drama of boxing and the team identity of soccer? That was the spark. With India and the USA leading the global chess scene, the matchup felt inevitable. We just made it real,' Salim Belcadi of Checkmate Strategic Ventures told Firstpost in an exclusive interaction on the upcoming event.
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'What makes this event different is its design: a high-stakes, fan-friendly and broadcast-ready showdown. Every game has a winner, with patriotism as a narrative. The atmosphere will be electric: national anthems, walkouts, crowd energy, and real-time graphics powered by tech. Its goal is to appeal to both casual and serious chess players. In short, it's chess built for the spotlight,' he added.
The event that is headlined by a showdown between reigning world champion D Gukesh and world No 2 Hikaru Nakamura also includes an equally mouth-watering battle between Arjun Erigaisi and Fabiano Caruana – ranked fourth and fifth in the Classical ratings. 'Checkmate' thus features four of the world's top five players on the FIDE Standard Ratings, making it an event that is comparable with Norway Chess and other events with equally strong lineups.
The five-board team match also witnesses 21-year-old Carissa Yip battle it out against Divya Deshmukh, the world's highest-rated female player under 21 and a couple of 14-year-olds Tani Adewumi and Ethan Vaz.
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And that's not all – the one of a kind event also pits two of the most popular streamers in the chess world – Levy Rozman, a.k.a. GothamChess and Sagar Shah, both of whom happen to be International Masters.
THE MATCH IS ON! Checkmate: USA vs India
📅 October 4, 2025
🏟️ Esports Stadium Arlington, Texas, 2500 seats!
🌍 Global broadcast
🎙️ Commentary, spectacle, intensity
♟️ 5 boards. 4 categories. Only one winner.
🔥 Lineup:
• Hikaru Nakamura (USA World #2) vs Gukesh Dommaraju (World… — checkmate SV (@checkmate_SV) May 1, 2025
And unlike Classical matches that follow a 90+30 time control, the 'Checkmate' event will feature 10-minute games – which will be followed by a 5-minute Overtime Game and 1-minute Shootout Games until there is a winner in the event of a draw.
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Belcadi reveals the organisers were met with a positive response from Nakamura, Gukesh and the other players when approached with the idea.
'We approached all the players a couple of months ago with a clear concept: this event isn't about ratings, it's about categories, stories, and showmanship. Their response was unanimously positive.
'They saw that this was professional, respectful of the game, and designed to promote chess in a new light. None of the players hesitated, in fact, many offered advice and encouragement. We're grateful for the openness and trust they showed us,' Belcadi added.
Belcadi goes on to add that chess already has a following in millions, but lacks the presentation for it to become a mainstream sport, something that Checkmate Strategic Ventures intends to achieve with the upcoming event.
'The global chess audience is already there: millions follow it online, and many are new to the game. We feel the missing piece is how it's presented. With the right format, pacing, and storytelling, chess can become a mainstream sport. That's the goal of Checkmate SV, to bridge the gap between competitive chess and mass entertainment,' Belcadi said.
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Emphasising on home advantage
'Home advantage' is an integral part of sport, especially team events, and it is this factor that helps add context to a game and adds the spice needed to make things more interesting.
The presence of legion of cheering supporters provides the mental boost to teams or individuals playing on home turf, which can be the difference between victory and defeat at times. More tangible factors such as weather and soil type can also influence the outcome of a game, especially in sports such as cricket.
The organisers are expecting a sold-out affair at the 2,500-capacity Esports Stadium, which will be hosting the event in the 'Lone Star State', with a vast majority of those in attendance likely to chant 'USA! USA!' come 4 October.
That, however, is by no means all as far as the home advantage factor is concerned. What makes this team event unique is the fact that the Americans will be playing with white pieces in all games. The 'marginal edge' – as the organisers put it – will be extended to the Indians when the return match takes place in their backyard.
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The 2,500-capacity Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas will be hosting the 'Checkmate: USA vs India' event on 4 October. AFP
'Home advantage is important in our concept, and the home team will play with white to give them a marginal edge. We are planning a return match in India, where this advantage will swap sides,' Belcadi said.
Belcadi goes on to add that India are a world-class team with top names such as Gukesh, Arjun and Divya, who have held their own in high-pressure situations and are expected to put up a tough fight despite the advantage that their opponents enjoy.
'On October 4th, there will be crowd support for Team USA, and the venue, Esports Stadium Arlington, is massive for a chess event. But this is a world-class Indian team, and most players have shown nerves of steel in high-stakes events. We doubt they will feel the pressure now.
'Also, the pairings are very balanced by design, and the format fast. Therefore, despite the marginal edge, we think it'll come down to performance over atmosphere. We strongly believe every round will be competitive.'
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'India's rise as a chess powerhouse one of the most inspiring stories'
Belcadi goes on to hail India's rise in the world of chess, especially in the year 2024 in which it completed a historic golden sweep at the Chess Olympiad , Gukesh emerged as the youngest champion in the Candidates as well as the World Championship and Arjun became only the second Indian to breach the 2800-rating barrier.
'India's rise as a chess powerhouse is one of the most inspiring stories in recent sports. India's new generation led by Gukesh, Arjun, Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali, Divya, and others isn't just talented. They're fearless and conquering.
'What's even more remarkable is that many of them are still in school. And behind them is a powerful ecosystem of coaches, federations, and platforms like ChessBase India. India is no longer the future of chess, it's the present,' Belcadi said.
Also Read | Nakamura heaps praise on India's chess ecosystem: 'Everything is the way it should be'
As for the crux of the upcoming event – USA vs India – Belcadi felt this was the right match-up for the 'Checkmate' event to make its debut with, but has room to 'travel and adapt' in the years to come.
'The USA vs India matchup was the right one to launch with — it reflects where the excitement and momentum are today. But we built this with scalability in mind. The format can travel and adapt. That's the beauty of the team-based, round-by-round format: it invites creativity.'
Checkmate Strategic Ventures views this event as one that has the potential to become a 'recurring global property' that is also commercially viable from the entertainment perspective.
'This event is a proof of concept. In the short term, the goal is to deliver an unforgettable live experience and a format that proves chess can entertain like other sports. In the long term, Checkmate SV is a platform.
'We see it becoming a recurring global property delivering high stakes events and high production. We want to give fans a reason to show up, sponsors a reason to invest, and players a new kind of stage to shine on.
'The bigger picture is to create a chess product that is commercially viable as an entertainment sport. At the same time, we want to preserve the depth and quality of the game we love,' Belcadi signed off.

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