Amit Kamath is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and he leads the digital sports team. Based in Mumbai, he is widely regarded as one of India's leading sports journalists specializing in chess besides also writing on Olympic sports.
Professional Profile
Specialization: Amit has carved a niche for himself by making chess a central part of the newspaper's sports coverage. He focuses on the technical nuances of the game as well as the human-interest stories behind the players.
Experience: He has over 15 years of experience in journalism. Before joining The Indian Express in February 2023, he worked with several major media houses, including The Hindustan Times, Firstpost, Mid-Day, The Free Press Journal, and News9 Digital.
On-Ground Coverage: He was among the few Indian journalists on the ground for the pandemic-affected Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021). he also reported on the 2022 Commonwealth Games from the ground in Birmingham. He also travels extensively to cover global chess events like the FIDE World Cup, the Global Chess League, Norway Chess and Tata Steel Rapid and Blitz India.
Key Columns & Podcasts
"On The Moves": A weekly chess column where he breaks down the changing contours of the sport, tournament results, player strategies, and the evolving landscape of Indian chess (featuring stars like Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi).
"Game Time" Podcast: He co-hosts this weekly sports podcast for The Indian Express, discussing the biggest stories in Indian and international sports beyond the headlines.
"Mind Over Medals": In the past, he hosted a recognized podcast series which focused on the mental well-being of athletes.
Awards & Recognition
Media for Mental Health Award (2022): Awarded by the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) for his work on athlete mental health via the Mind Over Medals podcast.
Red Ink Journalism Awards (2014): Runner-up in the sports category for an investigative report on the poor living conditions of athletes at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Mumbai campus.
Robert Bosch Media Ambassador (2019): He was selected for this exchange fellowship in Germany, where he studied and reported on German sports systems and fact-checking practices.
Notable Recent Work
Amit is known for his deep-dive interviews with players like five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, chess legend Viswanathan Anand, ex-world champion Ding Liren and Hikaru Nakamura. He also writes analytical pieces and colour features, such as:
In-depth interviews with Viswanathan Anand regarding the new generation of Indian Grandmasters.
Reporting on the rise of D Gukesh and his journey to the World Championship.
Analytical pieces on how "home" serves as a rare vacation for India’s hyper-active chess stars.
His full body of work and the latest editions of his chess column can be found at his Indian Express Author Profile.
