FIDE, AICF & Tech Mahindra Strengthen Partnership to Provide Next-Gen Digital Fan Experience by Leveraging Fan Nxt.Now

Tech Mahindra onboarded as the digital partner for 44^th FIDE Chess Olympiad 

Viswanathan Anand, five-time world chess champion, joins hands with Tech Mahindra to advise on next-generation chess tech and engagement

Mumbai – June 1^st, 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 a 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 44^th edition of the FIDE chess Olympiad which will be hosted in Chennai from 28^th July to 9^th August 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 aill 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.

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 re-define the experience for fans across the globe.

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 towards 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.”

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 real time.

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 non-governmental institution, it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a Global Sporting Organization in 1999. 

FIDE currently has its headquarters in Lausanne, but it was initially founded in 1924 in Paris under the motto “Gens una Sumus” (Latin for “We are one Family”). It was one of the very first International Sports Federations, alongside the governing bodies of the sports of Football, Cricket, Swimming, and Auto Racing. It is now one of the largest, encompassing 199 countries as affiliate members, in the form of National Chess Federations. Chess is nowadays a truly global sport, with dozens of millions of players in all the continents, and more than 60 million games on average played every day.

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 the 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.NOW^TM 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 federations 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.