CHENNAI, India – On a balmy morning last fall in the coastal Indian city of Chennai, dozens of fans perched on their seats as they watched an elite-level tournament unfold. Some shook their legs ...

Seven-year-old Lakshan is coached by Selvabharathy, a trainer at Vishnu Prasanna's Chess Academy in Chennai, India in the southern state of Tamil Nadu — seen as the epicenter of chess in the country.

The FIDE Women's Chess World Cup is among the most grueling of tournaments. It goes on for nearly a month and features more than 100 players, prodigies to world champions, across age and nationalities ...

India is eager to turn kids into chess masters. Above: Trainer Selvabharathy — he has just one name — conducts a class at the Madras School of Chess in Chennai, using the online platform Lichess.org ...