Chess | Indian players are an arbiter’s delight: Kulczak

Anemone Kulczak seems like a constant at Norway Chess. The Frenchwoman, who made a smooth transition from playing to being an arbiter, is enjoying the role.

“I played many tournaments after having learnt the game from my father when I was very young and at some point I wanted to know the regulations,” Kulczak, who has been the chief arbiter at several editions of the Norway Chess, told The Hindu.

There’s been no looking back since she decided to take an arbiter’s course and obtained certifications and is at home officiating in top-flight events, including the Chess Olympiad.

The 31-year-old said the modern generation of players were disciplined and easier to handle. She was all praise for the Indians and said players like World champion D. Gukesh, R. Praggnanandhaa, Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh, who are taking part in this year’s event, were an arbiter’s delight as they consistently followed the rules.

Kulczak was full of admiration of the manner in which Indian chess had evolved over the years and felt that the new generation is talented and there would be more world champions.

“India is the future of chess… India will continue to have world champions. Gukesh is an exceptionally talented player and there are many others too like Pragg. It is good for world chess,” she added.

Kulczak, who was at the helm during the tournament in Stavanger in 2025 when Magnus Carlsen famously banged the table after losing to Gukesh, said arbiters had to be more careful these days as there is intense scrutiny and ensure that rules matter more than reputations.