Frequently Asked Questions

Dynamo Chess is a modern chess variant played on a 10×10 board (100 squares) with 20 pieces per side — 4 more than classical chess — including two Dynamo (Missile) pieces per player. The Dynamo is a hybrid piece that moves as a Bishop or a Knight, the player’s choice on every turn. It was conceived in Kolkata in 2012 by Pradeep Sadani and developed over three years in close collaboration with Indian Grandmasters, launching publicly on 23rd March 2015.

Pradeep Sadani — a Kolkata-based real estate entrepreneur and lifelong chess enthusiast with no formal chess training. The game was refined with GM Dibyendu Barua (India’s 2nd Grandmaster) at Barua Chess Academy, and is developed and operated today by Dynamic Mind Academia LLP.

Basic chess knowledge helps a lot — nearly all classical rules carry over unchanged (check, checkmate, stalemate, en passant, castling). You’re really only learning one new piece and a bigger board, not a new game from scratch. Most existing chess players pick up Dynamo Chess within minutes.

A 10×10 board instead of 8×8, 20 pieces per side instead of 16, and one brand-new piece — the Dynamo — that moves as a Bishop or Knight, the player’s choice each turn.

It’s the first genuinely new chess piece introduced in the modern era. On each turn you choose whether it moves diagonally like a Bishop or in an L-shape like a Knight (jumping over other pieces). It’s valued at 7 points — more than a Rook (5), less than a Queen (9) — and a lone Dynamo piece can checkmate a cornered King on its own, something no single piece can do in classical chess.

On its first move, a pawn can advance 1, 2, or 3 squares (classical chess allows only 1 or 2), which opens the game faster. Pawns can promote to Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight, or — exclusively in Dynamo Chess — to a Dynamo piece.

The same restrictions as classical chess apply (neither King nor Rook may have moved, no pieces in between, King not in or passing through check), adjusted for the wider board — the King moves 3 squares toward the Rook instead of 2, and the Rook lands directly beside the King.

The 10×10 board, extra pawns, and two Dynamo pieces mean none of classical chess’s centuries of opening theory applies. Every game starts from zero, so the player who thinks most clearly and creatively wins — not the one who has memorized the most lines. This is one of the game’s core selling points for education.

Yes — the physical 3-in-1 set plays Dynamo Chess, Traditional Chess, and 10×10 Checkers on the same board.

Three of India’s leading Grandmasters. GM Dibyendu Barua (India’s 2nd Grandmaster, Arjuna Awardee) was the primary architect of the ruleset and defined how the Dynamo piece moves. GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly (India’s No.1 ranked player in 2011, former second to Viswanathan Anand) was present at the 2015 launch and identified the Dynamo’s solo-checkmate ability. GM Mitrabha Guha (India’s 72nd Grandmaster) became the first-ever Dynamo Chess Champion in 2022, winning on the very day he first saw the game.

Not yet. Dynamic Mind Academia LLP formally wrote to both FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) and the All India Chess Federation (AICF) in June 2026, requesting a formal meeting, recognition as an official chess variant, and potential collaboration on school programs. Both requests are currently pending a response.

Copyrighted, not patented. The rules, board design, and Dynamo piece are protected under copyright.

Yes — Dynamic Mind Academia LLP is registered under Startup India, recognized as an MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise), and is part of the Make in India initiative.

Yes. The Times of India featured it under the headline “Chess takes a novel, ‘dynamic’ turn,” quoting GM Dibyendu Barua and Pradeep Sadani. ChessBase India — India’s leading chess media platform — has published the game’s origin story, live tournament coverage, and a video interview with GM Barua.

As an Android app (online play, AI opponent, puzzles, training mode, ELO ranking — launched 2024, upgraded to v2.0 in 2026), or with the physical 3-in-1 board set.

Through the Tournaments & Events page, once live — registration will collect name, contact details, and category, with entry fees payable via UPI/Razorpay.

The 1st Dynamo Chess Tournament (May 2022), where GM Mitrabha Guha became the first-ever champion; representation at the Chess Olympiad 2022; the 51st National Women’s Chess Championship 2025 in Durgapur (official stall, alongside sponsors IndianOil, CenturyPly, and SBI); the Chess for Youth Championship (15th Edition) at Town Hall, Kolkata; and the Kidsopolis 4.0 Chess Festival at Acropolis Mall.

This depends on the specific event — pricing should be confirmed per tournament and listed clearly on the Tournaments & Events page before registration opens.

Yes — it’s designed as an educational tool. Because there are no memorized openings, every student starts on equal footing regardless of prior coaching or prep time, making it a genuinely level playing field in the classroom. It’s built to strengthen both IQ (problem-solving, memory, focus, logical reasoning) and EQ (emotional regulation, adaptability, empathetic problem-solving).

Active coaching runs at Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata (both Traditional and Dynamo Chess). It has also been piloted at Rejoice International School (Mumbai) and Konnagar High School, with events hosted at St. Xavier’s College Kolkata and ICCR Kolkata.

Through the enquiry form on the Academy / For Schools page, collecting school name, contact person, city, and student age group — or directly via dynamicmindacademia@gmail.com.

The company has an investor pitch deck outlining a pre-seed/incubation funding ask, and has applied to the Bengal Business Accelerator Program (IIM Calcutta Innovation Park) for mentorship, fundraising guidance, and investor introductions.

Five revenue streams, per the pitch deck: product sales (the 3-in-1 physical set), coaching programs, digital subscriptions (app premium tiers, once live), sponsorships, and franchise expansion (planned 2026–27).

Email dynamicmindacademia@gmail.com or use the Account Deletion Request form in the site footer, and it will be processed promptly.

Email: dynamicmindacademia@gmail.com
Phone: +91 9339091162 / +91 9123904376
Address: 6, Camac Street, Fort Knox Building, Kolkata, West Bengal
Website: dynamochess.com / dynamicmind.in