YiPPee Puts 25 Young Players Across The Board From Magnus Carlsen
YiPPee hosted its Checkmate Challenge at ITC Windsor in Bengaluru, giving 25 young chess players aged 13 to 19 the chance to play against Magnus Carlsen, Koneru Humpy, Vidit Gujrathi and Pravin Mahadeo Thipsay.
- Brand: YiPPee, from the Foods Division of ITC Ltd
- Venue: ITC Windsor, Bengaluru
- Participants: 25 players aged 13 to 19, from Bengaluru and Chennai
- Opponents: Magnus Carlsen, Koneru Humpy, Vidit Gujrathi and Pravin Mahadeo Thipsay
- Best player: Vivaan Sachdev, named by Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay for holding the strongest board position against three Grandmasters
How The YiPPee Finalists Got There
Through the brand's Cook. Share. Checkmate! contest, which ran from 26 August to 2 September across Bengaluru and Chennai. Chess enthusiasts aged 13 to 19 were invited to make a bowl of YiPPee noodles and share a memorable chess moment, with 25 finalists selected for the Checkmate Challenge itself.
That is a cleaner mechanic than most food brand activations manage. The entry requires the product to be used, the qualifying content is about the passion rather than the packet, and the prize is something no amount of money reliably buys: a seat opposite the strongest player in the world.
What Actually Happened At The Board
Vivaan Sachdev was named best player of the challenge by Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, coach of the Alpine APL Pipers, after holding the strongest board position against three Grandmasters. For the rest, the value was the exposure to an environment where every move carried weight, and holding composure under it.
Magnus Carlsen, of the Alpine APL Pipers, kept his assessment practical. "It is always nice to see the joy that kids have in chess. The young players here were very good, and you could see the amount of energy and effort they brought to the games," he said. Atul Pujar, head of marketing for snacks and noodles in the Foods Division of ITC Ltd, said the brand's constant endeavour is to support and inspire young minds. The activation sits within #BeyondTheMove, the brand's campaign about the stories that surround every move on the board. More campaigns.