Gujarat creates chess record

20,000 players, most of them school children, participated in the event

The event bettered the existing world record for simultaneous chess competition at a single venue in Mexico four years ago. More than 13,000 players had contested in the Mexico competition in 2006.

As Guinness adjudicator Tarika Wala certified the new record, the crowd at the University Ground broke into raptures.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the brain behind the event, was present on the occasion.
The event was organised with an aim of promoting the game of chess in the state.
The initiative of the Gujarat government, Gujarat Chess Association and NIIT was clear about erasing the existing Guinness record.

Most of the 20,000 participants were schoolchildren. The venue was divided into 64 squares making it look like a chess board. Each square had 320 players and 16 masters with one master playing 20 players.

If former world champion Anatoly Karpov had graced the Mexican chess event four years ago, Friday’s event here was graced by current world chess champion Vishwanathan Anand. Anand not only was a special guest, but also played against 50 participants in the end.

While 200 masters stood by to deal with emergencies, over 700 volunteers and 600 supervisors monitored every participant and square.

The groups of participants were dressed in black or white to match the chessboard squares.