FIDE, AICF & Tech Mahindra Strengthen Partnership to Provide Next-Gen Digital Fan Experience
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 44th edition of the FIDE chess Olympiad which will be hosted in Chennai from 28th July to 9th 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 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.
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.