Chennai: While it is said that no board game is a major spectator sport, chess could be made into one with slight changes in the format, holding more promotional events and even cheerleaders, said a former women’s world champion.

“Chess has all the drama and excitement to be a spectator sport. I believe that, with a slight change in format, it could be made a major spectator sport, fit for playing in a big stadium and not in hotels,” Susan Polgar, 44, winner of four women’s World Championships and five Chess Olympiads, told IANS in Chennai in a freewheeling discussion.

She said that though chess is a game of ideas and strategies, there should still be a separate category in terms of tournaments for women.

Polgar is in Chennai as one of the four official commentators for the ongoing World Championship match between reigning champion Vishwanathan Anand from India and Norwegian challenger Magnus Carlsen.

She is the eldest of the famed Polgar sisters in chess, the other two being Sofia and Judith.

According to Polgar, the format changes could include stricter time control and ruling out a draw within a specified number of moves, among others. She added that there could be more promotional events, best of 10 or 20 blitz games and also have cheerleaders to generate more spectator interest in chess.

Expressing satisfaction at the manner in which the ongoing championship has been organised, Polgar even that suggested documentaries highlighting the off-the-board personality, likes and dislikes and such other information about the two players could generate greater public involvement.

“Lot of documentaries were made about me and my sisters,” she said.

On brand endorsement opportunities, Polgar said chess players would make cost-effective brand ambassadors for financial service providers like insurance companies, banks and also for computer companies.

“I have endorsed products of a bank and insurance company in Hungary. Generally, investments are linked to strategies and computers to their computing power, both of which chess players signify. Companies are aware of this aspect. They use a chess piece or the board as part of their advertisement even if they do not use a chess champion as their brand ambassador,” she said.

According to her, the world’s top players may be charging not less than $100,000 (Dh367,269) for endorsing a product.

“On their part, chess players should be more media savvy and be active on the social media to improve their marketability,” Polgar advised.

Queried about the need for having a separate women’s chess category, she said: “Very few women play chess. Till such time the game attracts good number of women, there is a need for a special category.”

Now mainly into chess coaching, Polgar is the director at Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (Spice), training the US-based Webster University chess team. Of her 14 students, nine are Grandmasters, two international masters, of which one is a woman, and one Fide master.