I am pleased to share an upcoming milestone in my journey — the soon-to-be-released book Shata, Shata Vande Chess!, an exploration of the world’s greatest strategic game across fifteen thousand years of history.

From the divine ages of the Treta and Dwapar Yugas,
to the intellectual brilliance of the Gupta Empire,
from the royal courts of Persia and Arabia,
to the Renaissance masters of Europe,
and finally to modern India’s spectacular rise —
this work captures the enduring odyssey of chess.

Across forty meticulously crafted chapters, the book traces:

• The birth of Chaturanga in ancient India
• Persia’s transformation of the game into Chatrang
• The brilliance of early Shatranj masters — Sassa, Burzuvia, al-Adli, as-Suli
• Renaissance theorists who reshaped the foundations of modern chess
• The Romantic brilliance of Anderssen and Morphy
• A century of world champions, from Steinitz to Gukesh
• A remarkable lineage of women champions, from Menchik to Ju Wenjun
• The rise of modern India — Viswanathan Anand, Gukesh, and a new golden era

More than a historical narrative, Shata, Shata Vande Chess! is a celebration of Bharat’s contribution to global intellectual heritage — a tribute to the minds, legends, and civilisations that shaped the greatest game ever created.

⏳ An epic of time.
👑 A legacy of kings and queens.
♟️ A journey of intellect, imagination, and wonder.

शत, शत वंदे — countless salutations to Chess.

---