iWorld
Nodwin Gaming set to launch Chess Super League
Mumbai: South Asia-based esports company, Nodwin Gaming is teaming up with chess streamer Samay Raina and chess media company ChessBase India to launch a new online chess league – Chess Super League (CSL). The online esports league is also the first property announced by Nodwin Gaming, an independent subsidiary of Nazara Technologies after the acquisition of the gaming business of OML Entertainment for Rs 73 crores.
The first season of the Chess Super League will run between 8-11 pm from 11 to 17 October featuring six top Grandmasters across the globe. It will include the top six players in both men and women categories from India as well as junior categories. The six teams of six players each will give viewers an opportunity to see players come together to battle for a prize pool of a whopping Rs 40 Lakhs.
The teams will be spearheaded by franchise owners who will support and represent their squad through the Chess Super League. The franchise owners of the debut edition include Tanmay Bhat, Raftaar (Kalamkaar), Zakir Khan, MortaL (S8ul), Biswa Kalyan Rath, and PayTM Insider CEO Shreyas Srinivasan. These franchise owners will act as ambassadors and will be the torchbearers for their teams for the entirety of the league, it said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Chess Super League is a testimony to the fact that gaming, eSports, and comedy have significant synergies and shall come together in a big way. It is a sampling of many such collaborations between the different forms of gaming entertainment that the world will see,” said Nodwin Gaming MD Akshat Rathee.
The league will be broadcast on Samay Raina’s YouTube channel and will feature ChessBase India CEO Sagar Shah and Samay as the hosts and commentators. “Indian chess is on the rise and experts all across the world have dubbed India as the next powerhouse in the world of chess. We have many strong players and young talents. This online league will give more exposure and opportunity to Indian players, especially the youngsters,” said ChessBase India founder Sagar Shah.
The league will see Grandmasters like Ding Liren, Hikaru Nakamura, Anish Giri, Teimour Radjabov, Hou Yifan (the strongest female player in the world), Muzychuk sisters, Nana Dzagnidze, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and others.
iWorld
Mastercard expands concert series with comedy and music format
Vir Das, Zakir Khan and Papon headline multi-city shows across India.
MUMBAI: From punchlines to power chords, the stage is getting a genre upgrade. Mastercard has unveiled the next phase of its multi-city concert series in India, blending stand-up comedy with live music in a format that mirrors the country’s evolving entertainment tastes. The new line-up brings together a diverse mix of performers, including comedians Vir Das and Zakir Khan, alongside singer Papon. The shift marks a departure from earlier editions that were primarily music-led, featuring global and Indian acts such as Enrique Iglesias, A. R. Rahman and Sunidhi Chauhan.
Curated in collaboration with Tribe Vibe and EVA Live, the expanded series is designed to create a broader cultural platform that brings humour, storytelling and music into a single live experience.
Vir Das will kick off the comedy segment in New Delhi with four shows across two days at Yashobhoomi on 9 and 10 May. Meanwhile, Zakir Khan is set for an extended run in Mumbai, with nine shows scheduled at Dome SVP Stadium across 12, 13, 14, 19 and 20 June, with additional dates expected.
On the music front, Papon will headline a six-city tour, beginning in Chandigarh on 16 May, followed by Ahmedabad on 29 May and Lucknow on 30 May. The tour will then move to Bengaluru on 6 June, Hyderabad on 7 June, and conclude in Indore on 14 June.
The series continues to offer exclusive benefits for Mastercard cardholders, including priority ticket access and premium lounge experiences at venues positioning the platform as both an entertainment and lifestyle proposition.
Beyond the spotlight, the initiative carries a social dimension. Through its partnership with Learning Links Foundation, Mastercard has enabled nearly 90 students from underserved communities across cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Chandigarh to experience live events often for the first time aiming to spark interest in careers within the experience economy.
As live entertainment becomes increasingly hybrid and experiential, Mastercard’s latest move signals a simple insight: today’s audience doesn’t just want a show, they want a story, a laugh and a memory, all rolled into one.
