Kolkata hosts chess tournament for visually and hearing-impaired players
This International Chess Day, the city saw inclusivity weaved in through the masterful board game
A visually-impaired participant at the International Chess Day event waiting for his opponent to start his next game.
| Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI
The Kolkata Center for Creativity (KCC) in Kolkata hosted a daylong event of chess tournaments for visually and hearing-impaired players to celebrate International Chess Day on July 20 with a note of inclusivity. This was the first ever All Bengal Rapid Chess Tournament for persons with disabilities to be hosted in the city.
Visually impaired 24-year-old chess player Bikas Kumar Sinha from the Asansol Braille Academy was quite excited to be part of the tournament. He hoped to find a career in the game soon. He said, “I want to play the game professionally. Our chess teacher at our school, M.D. Sabbir says I should go to the Olympics, and I want to try for it. Participating in these events help us make our game better.”
Mr. Sinha’s teacher-in-charge, Abhijit Mandal said, “Many of our students have been learning chess since 2019. Some of them are going to participate in the national selections on July 27. We hope they get better at the game along with their studies.”
Speaking about the need for inclusivity in all walks of life and especially in sports and games, Suravi Dutta, International Arbiter, and Chief Arbiter at the event said, “Everybody is an equal as a player. There is talent everywhere, we need to appreciate that. All of us have challenges, but we all get opportunities, so why not them? Their challenges might be bigger than ours, but we need to try and break these barriers.” She reflected that inclusivity is the true nature of sportsmanship and that should be the motto behind every game people play.
At the event, visually impaired participants cheered on their peers in sign language and the visually impaired shared hugs and smiles to show support. They were beaming with joy as teacher-in-charge, Basudeb Chatterjee, Nabadwip A.P.C. Blind School pointed out, “This is a great exposure for our students. There is a lot of talent in them, and with the right training, they can go up to the international level. They are overjoyed to be a part of an International Chess Day event.”
The white chess pieces have a bump on the head and the black ones are plain. It helps the visually impaired players plan their next moves through tactile sensations. As 80 participants sat on 40 tables across the hall, they remained raced against time to win each round at their guardians looked on with pride filled their eyes.
Another participant at the event, Sania Khatun, a 14-year-old student of Asansol Braille Academy took pride in her skills and her love for the game and said, “I have played at many events in Guma (North 24 Parganas), Sakherbajar (Kolkata). I want to be a professional player someday.”
Atin Sengupta, Secretary of Kolkata District Chess Association said, “Many of the participants have faced mistreatment at many walks of life. Including them in such an event is a step in the right direction to make them feel more confident and treat them as equals.”
Similar feelings were shared by Ms. Richa Agarwal, Chairperson of KCC, expressed her enthusiasm for the event, stating, “This unique chess tournament, the first of its kind, embodies our commitment to curate inclusive programmes and spaces at KCC. We hope to instill a sense of community and camaraderie among the young players and raise awareness about the challenges faced by disabled individuals.”
At the International Chess Day tournament, KCC also launched a Braille Library for the visually impaired. Here they had a wide display of tactile art pieces and braille books which spoke at length about the art works. Talking about this library, Ms Agarwal said, “With the launch of the Braille Library at KCC, we also attempt to include more people within the ambit of the art world through the conversion of art into tactile artworks and the publishing of Braille books on art.”
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