For 42 visually challenged persons who participated in a chess tournament organised in November by the Rotary Club of Bombay Juhu Beach, RID 3141, and conducted by the Mumbai Suburban District Chess Association, it was not only a day of intense concentration on their game but also a day of pampering and feeling valued.
The event was held over a single day, and the participants competed in a 15-minute rapid round using the Swiss League format. (This system uses a non- eliminating format for large tournaments where players with similar scores play each other over a set number of rounds, avoiding a full round-robin).
What was impressive was that 24 of the participants were internationally rated under the FIDE-rate system. This rating comprises a numerical score showing a chess player’s skill which is calculated by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). It’s an internationally recognised standard reflecting relative strength and is used for seeding in tournaments, tracking progress and earning titles such as that of a Grandmaster.
PR director of the club Pradeep Parikh, who was closely involved in organising the tournament, said that the Rotarians who played a role in putting this event together were amazed at the dedication and concentration displayed by the players. Six rounds had to be played because there were 42 players.
We realised how much more challenging the game of chess is for the visually challenged than those of us who can see…. It literally gave us goosebumps.
“Chess is a game of strategy, foresight, and mental strength — but to play it blindfolded, relying purely on memory and spatial visualisation, is absolutely inspirational. Each player touched the chess pieces and squares on the board… which are specially made with grooves so the coins do not topple over… and committed them to memory, before making their moves. For these special players, the white and black coins have differentiating marking for them to decipher. What we witnessed was an incredible display of concentration and intellect.”
Pandya, chief guest Dhruv Sitwala, Ojas Dave, Rajeev Gandhi, Parul Doshi, Shraddha
Dave and IPP Mansi Thakkar.
The Rotarians watched in awe as with spatial recognition and mind power the visually challenged players navigated the complex game of chess, making their moves. “We then realised how much more challenging the game of chess is for the visually challenged than those of us who can see…. It literally gave us goosebumps,” said Parikh.
The event, which cost around ₹1.31 lakh, began in the morning and all the players were served breakfast and concluded after lunch which was lovingly served to the guests. The registration charge of ₹300 was refunded to each participant and ₹25,000 was given out as cash awards to the winners. He added that the participants were “very excited, ecstatic, overwhelmed… but they needed help for things like going to the washroom, and we were very happy to guide them. Even for their two meals we insisted they remain seated comfortably and we served them at their seats, making them feel respected, so and so that when they left some of them told us they were ‘very happy with the way you treated us.’”
Parikh added that the successful hosting of this competition has enthused the club members so much that they want to make this chess tournament for the blind an annual feature. “It was heartwarming to witness the joy and enthusiasm of each participant. Following this satisfying experience and now that we have some expertise, the next time we hope to double the number of participants to 80 players! For us, it was both an inspiring and humbling experience to see their sportsmanship, grace and positivity. Hats off to every participant for reminding all of us about the true strength and endless potential of the human mind.”