FIDE, AICF and Tech Mahindra strengthen partnership with launch of Fan Nxt.Now for Android and iOS

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the All-India Chess Federation (AICF) have strengthened their collaboration with Tech Mahindra, a provider of business re-engineering, consulting, and digital transformation services and solutions, in order to introduce Fan Nxt.Now, the first-ever FIDE app for iOS and Android. The 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad is now taking place on the sidelines. 

As part of this global tie-up, Tech Mahindra will come on board as a digital partner for the FIDE Chess Olympiad, which is taking place in India for the first time.

Celebrating the importance and popularity of chess in India, the launch event, held at the Olympiad venue in Mamallapuram, was graced by several eminent personalities, including Indian chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, AICF President Dr. Sanjay Kapoor, FIDE Chairman Bharat Singh Chouhan and Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy Officer & Head of Growth at Tech Mahindra.

Commenting on the partnership, 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, considering all the possibilities that this collaboration opens for us.”

Bharat Singh Chouhan, Secretary General, All India Chess Federation, stated:

“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, also 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.”

Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy Officer & Head of Growth, Tech Mahindra, added:

“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.”

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