NODWIN Gaming announced a strategic partnership with Chess.com and ChessBase India on June 18, 2025. This collaboration aims to develop India's chess esports infrastructure through combined organizational strengths. Additionally, the partnership seeks to expand competitive chess opportunities across multiple levels.
The alliance brings together expertise from three distinct areas within the chess ecosystem. NODWIN Gaming contributes production and broadcast capabilities alongside commercial strategy experience. Meanwhile, ChessBase India provides access to grassroots networks and India's chess community. Furthermore, Chess.com offers its global platform infrastructure and tournament systems.
Organizational Strengths and Synergies
Combined Capabilities
Each organization brings specific expertise to the partnership arrangement. NODWIN Gaming specializes in esports production, broadcasting, and commercial strategy development. ChessBase India maintains extensive connections within India's chess community and grassroots organizations.
Chess.com provides access to its global user base and established tournament infrastructure. The platform also offers creator partnership programs and community engagement tools. Consequently, these combined capabilities create opportunities for content creation and competitive format development.
Strategic Goals
The partnership focuses on several key development areas within chess esports. Organizations plan to co-create original intellectual properties and develop premium competitive formats. Additionally, they aim to increase engagement among both players and content creators.
The collaboration also seeks to provide partnership opportunities for brands interested in the chess ecosystem. Therefore, the alliance addresses multiple aspects of chess esports development simultaneously.
Chess Growth Statistics and Market Data
Global Platform Performance
Chess.com reported significant growth metrics for 2024. The platform recorded over 7.6 billion games played worldwide throughout the year. Moreover, total registered users exceed 200 million across the global platform.
Indian participation represents a substantial portion of this growth. The country maintains over 9 million monthly active players on the platform. Furthermore, India averages approximately 550,000 new user registrations each month.
Viewership and Engagement Trends
Chess content consumption has increased dramatically across digital platforms. Total organic views reached 925 million, representing 640% year-over-year growth. This surge demonstrates expanding interest in chess content consumption.
Recent tournament coverage illustrates this growing engagement. The World Chess Championship final between Gukesh Dommaraju and Ding Liren attracted over 24 million views. Additionally, peak concurrent viewership reached 200,000 during this match.
Indian Market Characteristics
Indian chess consumption patterns reveal specific demographic trends. Cities including Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai rank among top global chess-viewing regions. Additionally, mobile devices account for 80.9% of total viewership in India.
The primary audience demographic consists of users aged 18-34 years. This age distribution indicates strong engagement among digital-native generations. Consequently, chess appeals to both Gen Z and millennial audiences in India.
Industry Leadership Perspectives
NODWIN Gaming's Vision
Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, emphasized chess's cultural evolution. He noted the game's progression from traditional settings to esports arenas and streaming platforms. According to Rathee, chess has become the fourth most-watched sport in India after cricket, kabaddi, and BGMI tournaments.
The partnership aims to bridge heritage gaming with contemporary digital engagement. Rathee expressed intentions to combine traditional chess excellence with modern esports energy. Therefore, the collaboration seeks to modernize chess presentation while preserving its competitive integrity.
ChessBase India's Community Focus
Sagar Shah, CEO of ChessBase India, highlighted the partnership's community development goals. He described the alliance as extending beyond business arrangements toward comprehensive chess community growth. Shah emphasized building opportunities from grassroots levels to professional competition.
ChessBase India has focused on developing chess culture throughout India over the past decade. The partnership with NODWIN Gaming and Chess.com represents an expansion of these community-building efforts. Consequently, the collaboration aims to create more opportunities for chess ecosystem participants.
Chess.com's Market Assessment
Avadh Shah, Country Director of Chess.com India, noted chess's rapid growth trajectory. He identified chess as one of the fastest-growing sports globally over the past three years. Both participation and viewership metrics have reached record-breaking levels according to Shah's assessment.
The partnership timing aligns with increased excitement surrounding competitive chess. Leading companies within the chess ecosystem are collaborating to support continued development. Additionally, these organizations seek to attract new partners to join this growth trajectory.
Esports Integration and Competitive Recognition
Esports World Cup Inclusion
Chess will debut at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 with a $1.5 million prize pool. This inclusion represents significant recognition of chess as a competitive esports discipline. The tournament demonstrates chess's growing acceptance within the broader esports community.
Indian representation at this event highlights the country's competitive chess development. S8UL, a leading Indian esports organization, will represent India in the competitive chess category. Their roster includes Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram.
Historical Significance
This representation marks the first time an Indian esports team will compete in chess at a major international esports event. The participation underscores chess's evolution into a spectator-friendly competitive format. Moreover, it demonstrates the growing recognition of chess as a high-skill esports discipline.
The inclusion of established grandmasters in esports organizations illustrates the convergence of traditional chess excellence with modern competitive formats. Therefore, this development represents a significant milestone in chess esports evolution.
Infrastructure Development and Future Planning
Broadcast and Content Strategy
The partnership plans to develop comprehensive broadcast infrastructure for chess competitions. This includes creating top-tier production standards for tournament coverage. Additionally, the collaboration will focus on influencer-led content creation to expand audience reach.
Community tournaments and professional leagues represent additional development areas. These initiatives aim to create competitive opportunities across multiple skill levels. Furthermore, the infrastructure will support both amateur and professional chess development.
Long-term Ecosystem Goals
The alliance seeks to establish India as a global hub for online competitive chess. This objective requires building foundational infrastructure to support sustained growth. Organizations plan to honor India's chess legacy while embracing modern competitive formats.
Creator empowerment represents another key focus area within the partnership's scope. The collaboration aims to provide tools and opportunities for content creators within the chess community. Consequently, the ecosystem development addresses both competitive and entertainment aspects of chess.
Market Position and Industry Impact
The partnership positions India strategically within the global chess esports landscape. Combined organizational strengths create opportunities for comprehensive ecosystem development. Additionally, the collaboration addresses multiple aspects of chess growth simultaneously.
Industry recognition of chess as an esports discipline continues expanding through initiatives like the Esports World Cup inclusion. This trend supports the partnership's objectives of developing competitive infrastructure and expanding audience engagement. Therefore, the alliance aligns with broader industry trends toward chess esports integration.
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