Sneha Yadav | Dehradun
After the Indian Chess Grandmaster Koneru Humpy scripted history by clinching the World Rapid Chess Championship title, letting India continue celebrating remarkable milestones in chess, ranging from Koneru Humpy’s triumph to Gukesh Dommaraju becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, the chess culture in Dehradun reveals a mixed picture, especially in schools. Despite the growing popularity of online chess in India, the evolution of chess as a popular sport in schools and colleges in Dehradun has been slow.
“Chess is, of course, played in public schools, but sadly, there are no district or State-level competitions in Uttarakhand. We are, however, open to proposals for introducing such initiatives,” said a government official when asked about the status of chess in the government schools in Dehradun.
With the State Education department still weighing proposals for the introduction of chess in the government-run schools, some private schools are taking the lead in promoting chess in Dehradun. “We officially included chess as a part of our sports curriculum in 2021 and this led to a notable increase in student participation. Each year, we organise The Doon School Chess Tournament with participation of a number of schools from Dehradun and Mussoorie. Our school also has several FIDE-rated players, including Arena Candidate Master Guransh Chawla,” said the master in-charge (Chess) at The Doon School Hasan Ahtesham.
“Victories in chess has further cemented India’s position on the global chess map with the nation now proudly boasting of 85 Grandmasters of Chess,” said a Dehradun –based author and a chess enthusiast Roshen Dalal who had represented Delhi in the first Women’s Chess Nationals in 1974.
In the same breath, she lamented the lack of thriving chess culture in the city. “We can hardly overemphasise the importance of chess in improving concentration, memory and mental sharpness. Now, online chess has made the game more accessible as one can play anytime, anywhere. You do not even need a partner. You can play with bots,” she said, adding that it is time to use the latest technology in transforming Doon’s chess landscape.
