New Delhi: All Assam Chess Association General Secretary Rajeeb Dhar was having a good night’s sleep on Saturday morning. And why not? His mentor, Mayank Chakraborty, had just achieved his final Grandmaster (GM) standard at the 8th GM tournament in Sweden. In doing so, the 16-year-old became the first Grandmaster of Assam and Northeast India, and the 94th overall for the country.Bedtime, however, was not the last. Dhar felt a throb and heard a faint but very familiar voice: “Papa?” Papa?” It was Dhar’s little girl, who was clutching a checkerboard close to her chest.“She is not much interested in chess yet, but today, she tells me, ‘Dad, you teach me too, like you did with Mayank Dada. I will also become Assam’s first WGM (Women Grandmaster). If Mayank Dada can do it, so can I,'” Dhar told TimesofIndia.com during an earlier interview.
A spark in Pandu
Mayank, born in 2009, was approached by his mother, Dr. Monomita Chakraborty, an ophthalmologist, via messenger.She, settled in Pandu (a small area of Guwahati), was looking for someone nearby to guide her restless son in the basics of chess. Dhar, who also hails from the same place and has trained Assam’s star International Master (IM) Shahil Dey, agreed.“Initially, his tactical skills were very good, but he was a bit nervous and very restless, as children of that age are. But later he developed beautifully,” recalled Dhar.Mayank, now 16, soon began to showcase his talent across the board in the domestic circuit, becoming a three-time national champion in various age categories.“His confidence level is very high; he is never afraid of who is sitting,” Dhar said.
Mayank Chakraborty (Special Arrangements)
Sensing Mayank’s natural ability to become a GM, Dhar requested All India Chess Federation (AICF) president Nitin Narang for some financial help last year.“We just asked our AICF president, Nitin Narang, about the sponsorship,” he revealed. “We told him that he has the talent to be a grandmaster, so we need a sponsor. He immediately said, ‘Okay, I will pay two and a half lakh rupees for his next tournaments.’The investment paid off handsomely, it can be said.
Mom’s Gambit
However, as the saying goes, behind every successful man there is a woman. For Mayank, that woman is Monomita. To call him “dedicated” would be an understatement.Dhar still remembers a moment that perfectly encapsulates his sacrifice.“I remember I was going to give her a chess pen drive. She was in the middle of a surgery, and she came out for a second with her gloves still covered in blood just to make sure Mayank got his stuff,” Dhar revealed.When she was on night duty at the hospital, Mayank was often in the ward room, rehearsing his lines while his mother worked.
Mayank Chakraborty Playing With Black Pieces (Special Arrangements)
Nevertheless, the balancing act eventually became impossible. In 2022, Monomita quit her government job to travel full-time with her son.“There was no one else to take Mayank to the tournament,” shared Dhar. “His mother’s dedication is tremendous. She gave up everything because chess was her first priority. This success is entirely due to them.”Monomita recounted how her husband used to accompany their son, before he started traveling full-time. “My husband, Keshab Chakraborty, worked at Airtel. In the early days of Mayank’s journey, I could not travel much as I was still working till 2022. So initially, it was my husband who accompanied him to tournaments,” Monomita told TimesofIndia.com from Sweden.Explaining why traveling with her son became a necessity, she added, “Later, after my father-in-law passed away, we faced some family problems, and my husband could no longer travel much. Then I started accompanying Mayank. At one point, Mayank also faced some health problems; he developed sinusitis and severe allergies.“The cold, especially when we travel abroad, often triggers her cold allergies. Sometimes it requires medical attention, and it can be quite difficult and expensive for us to manage abroad. Therefore, under these circumstances it became necessary for me to stay with him and stay with him during his journey.
The end of the quest
For Monomita, victory in Sweden was the culmination of a quest that was as much about regional pride as it was about individual excellence.“Since 1988, when Viswanathan Anand As India’s first GM, Assam and the entire Northeast is waiting,” Monomita told this website.“When Mayank took up chess seriously, he had only one goal: ‘I will become the first grandmaster of Assam and the Northeast.’ With that motivation, we progressed.”The path was not linear. The COVID-19 pandemic halted his momentum for two years, and the transition from International Master (IM) to Grandmaster proved to be a psychological mountain.
Mayank Chakraborty (Special Arrangements)
Between August 2023 and early 2026, Mayank’s ratings fluctuated wildly.“It was a frustrating phase,” admitted Monomita. “He was a little skeptical because when you play too forcefully or aggressively, you lose rating points. I told him, ‘Once you hit 2,500, it’s a matter of months.’ There was a limit, perhaps a moment of self-doubt. Once he passed that, he performed brilliantly in Prague and then in Sweden.”In Sweden, Mayank clinched the routine with a round two spare. The final round was merely ceremonial, a victory lap for a boy who had spent half his life chasing sixty-four fours.
A mother’s cry for support
While the GM title is now a reality, the financial reality of elite chess is a different story. The Chakraborty family has depleted their savings, liquidated fixed deposits to fund trips to Europe where the most competitive tournaments are held.“Chess is very expensive and time-consuming,” Monomita admits. “It’s not like other sports where you keep your ‘belt’ forever. In chess, one second’s attention and your ranking, your pride, is gone. To reach 2600, he needs to play in elite tournaments against the top 20 players in the world. But that requires significant funding.”
Mayank Chakraborty (Special Arrangements)
Despite improving infrastructure in the Northeast, through initiatives like Khel Mahotsav, states lack corporate support. Tamil Nadu Or Maharashtra.“I have reached a level where I have to choose priorities. My son is doing something for Assam as a whole,” said Monomita, her voice a mix of pride and urgency.Also read: India gets first WIM from Northeast: How 15-year-old Arshidas is rewriting chess geography“I have exhausted what I could from my government job savings. Now, his future depends on government help and corporate support. My son has potential, and he believes in himself. If people believe in him, I will just follow him and let him continue his journey.”Back in Guwahati, children will be waking up their parents, chessboards in hand, ready for the 94th Grandmaster to finally walk the path.
