From Wijk Aan Zee To Kolkata! How 'The Wimbledon of Chess' Influenced Tata Steel Chess

Last Updated:January 07, 2026, 12:08 IST

Tata Steel Chess has been organized for six seasons now, hosting illustrious names such as Viswanathan Anand, Maguns Carlsen, and the quicker format has made the event appealing.

Tata Steel Chess. (X)

The Hoogovens Tournament, a tradition in the Dutch city of Wijk aan Zee since 1938, aimed at promoting chess as a thinking man’s sport in a world of working-class men and women, served as the point of inspiration for India’s Tata Steel Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship.

An event that has witnessed multiple prestigious names, including the likes of Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen, to name a few, the event in the Netherlands was halted during the Second World War and resumed in 1946 after the conclusion of the armed conflict between nations.

The event that was dubbed ‘The Wimbledon of Chess’, took on the moniker ‘Corus Chess Tournament’ in the year 1999 and Tata Steel’s acquisition of Corus altered the ballgame altogether.

“Tata took over Wijk aan Zee, and they did not want to hamper the traditional chess tournament; they said that it would be continued. That is a very traditional, old tournament," Barua said.

“But at the same time, they wanted to do something meaningful in India. Something different," he added.

Tata Steel opted to go for the Rapid and Blitz format for their tournament, instead of the classical format, as Jeet Banerjee, the MD of an event management company out of Kolkata, alongside veteran GM Dibyendu Barua, led the way for the Chess event in the City of Joy.

“Jeet came to me and said he wanted to do something big. India already had many open tournaments. He wanted an event that felt elite."

“Then he approached Tata Steel. Tata Steel is always eager to contribute to sports and cultural activities. And that is the first company that started giving sponsorship to national and international-level players," Barua added.

“Kolkata was chosen because Kolkata is known for its architectural style. The people are very much interested in sports and any cultural event."

Tata Steel Chess has been organized for six seasons now, hosting various illustrious names such as Anand, Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Levon Aronia, and the quicker format has made the event appealing to the passionate fanbase.

“We have a very professional team. Magnus, Nakamura, Anand, no issues at all. The only problem is that fans want photos and autographs. People are crazy for chess here," he admitted.

“COVID affected the schedule, yes," Barua added. “But the quality? It only improved. Every year, the strength of players goes up. The competition is becoming stronger."

The event will get underway on 16 January in Kolkata and will also harbour the Tata Chess Festival, opening up an avenue for youngsters and amateur players to share space with icons of the sport.

“It will be held over five days, and the response is always overwhelming. Whenever we open registrations for the Tata Chess Festival, they fill up within a few hours, and we have to close it quickly to avoid overcrowding. We cap participation at 250 players."

“In total, across four to five days, nearly 1,000 players take part. Parents come along, and it becomes a complete festival atmosphere."

“It is completely an invitational event. Invitations are issued based on player ratings to ensure that the top players participate. If a player withdraws at the last moment due to personal reasons, the spot goes to the next highest-rated player," Barua concluded.

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