THE INTERNATIONAL MIND SPORTS ASSOCIATION (IMSA) has expressed strong interest in bringing the prestigious World Mind Games to India, inviting bids from the country as part of a global hosting process for the next edition of the event, likely to be held later in 2026 or early 2027.
The World Mind Games is a multi-sport intellectual competition featuring disciplines such as chess, bridge, draughts, go, xiangqi, and increasingly esports, bringing together elite players from across the world.
“We are looking for partnership especially in Chess and other mind sports,” said Sandeep Singh, the chief marketing officer of IMSA. “We are hoping to partner with the best in the corporate sector to make chess the most popular sport besides working on the e-sports and other mind games popular in India. The market here is huge with around 300 million dollars already invested into e-sports and thanks to our young guns, chess is doing great too and has finally invited corporate interest,” he added.
Originally conceived as a “third kind of Olympics” for mind sports, the event has historically been hosted in cities like Beijing (2008) and Lille (2012), attracting thousands of competitors from over 90 countries.
IMSA’s interest in India is driven by the country’s rapid rise as a global powerhouse in mind sports—particularly chess. India has seen a new generation of world-class players such as D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi, building on the legacy of Viswanathan Anand. Chess alone is played by over 50 million people in India, highlighting a massive grassroots base. The country’s expanding esports ecosystem, with investments of around $300 million, further strengthens its case. This combination of elite performance and mass participation has made India an attractive destination for hosting a global mind sports event.
