The game of chess is for those who are passionate about logic, thinking ahead and reading what’s on his/her opponent’s mind. Mysore which has produced many a champion in this game, will proudly host an academy to groom chess-obsessed minds, writes Preethi Nagaraj
Chess is a game that requires mammoth amounts of tenacity. It does nothing to your physical being, as in, it has zero benefits for those who look for some ‘action’ and sweat dripping all over the place. There is nothing ‘masculine’ in conventional sense. But, this game is truly the one that can be the gender bender. This can be played with equal aplomb by men, and women. And, yes, there’s sweat too. A sharp mind engaged in playing chess can make the opponent sweat, by merely making the ‘killer’ move. Mind over matter.
Often depicted as the royal game, chess was usually associated with kings and ministers. Hence, it is little wonder that city of Mysore, the seat of power for the whole state till few decades ago, has produced champions in chess who have gone on to hog the limelight at national and international
level.
Be it M S Thejkumar, Girish Koushik, K Vijay Keerthi, Sriram Sarja, N Sanjay, M Kavyashree, P R Rekha, M Kavana, Manasa, Madhyru, Gangamma, Tulasi or Adish, chess has beckoned them for life.
In a bid to encourage the game and players from city reach for greater heights, Mysore District Chess Association (MDCA) has set out to play a big role in shaping the careers of chess players in Mysore, by giving them professional coaching. MDCA, which supported by the US-based Saanvi Technologies, will function out of SBRR Mahajana PU College from second week of April. Yashasvi Shankar, Director of Saanvi Technologies, is also an ardent fan of the game, and has lent constant support to Thej Kumar helping him financially for all his tournaments. In fact, Thej Kumar, the only GM holder in the state, will be in-charge of the academy, assisted by former state champion Y G Vijendra.
Speaking to City Herald, C K Muralidharan, whose brain child the Academy is, said the academy will run throughout the year and will work six days a week between 4.30 pm and 7 pm. It will coach chess players, both boys and girls, across age categories for beginners, middle-level players and advanced level players. Fortnightly tournaments will be held at the academy. A library and information repository on Chess is on the anvil, says Muralidharan. More details can be had from www.mysoresport.com.