Niranjan Navalgund is a chess player, trainer, and author. He served as a guest lecturer in the Project Checkmate 2.0 program in 2020. Recently, he was appointed as the coach of the Indian team at the 16th IBCA World Team Olympiad Championship in Greece. All the team members were a part of our Checkmate 2.0 program. In this interview, we catch up with him to learn more about the journey of the squad at the Olympiad and the next steps in place for other upcoming events. 1. Can you share how you were appointed as the coach of the team? I received a call from the treasurer of AICFB - Shri Swapnil Shah- in July (who also joined us as Manager of the team), and he told me that they were considering me as a coach for the team. I took sometime to check my schedule and then agreed to join the team as a coach and the captain. Coincidentally, I designed a training course under the guidance of AICFB President Dr. Charudatta Jadhav for different levels in the early part of the year. 3 students from the Udaan program qualified to represent India in the 16th IBCA Chess Olympiad. Since I knew the players, it was easy to make the decision. 2. How did you prepare for the tournament? We prepared for the event in stages. In the first stage, I spent several weeks trying to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the players in our team. The next stage involved clearing the individual doubts of the players and also explaining intricacies of certain middlegames and endgames to elevate their overall chess strength. In the third stage, we focused on probable opponents and started working on different possible opening repertoires with Plan A and Plan B, considering both the colors. In this period, I sought help from my good friends, FM Ankit Gajwa and Prasanna S, who are also good trainers themselves. They played training games with the team to test their preparation. In addition to this, Aryan Joshi was helped by Raghunandan Gokhale and Marimuthu was being trained by K.Visweswaran, which helped them to further improve their chess. In the final stage, we discussed the logistics, things to carry and the do's and don'ts of a team event. 3. What were your thoughts going into the tournament? This was my first stint as a coach for an Indian team. I had trained students individually, though. Since I had no prior experience, I did not know what to expect. I felt that we worked reasonably well with the resources that we had and were hopeful of giving our best, and I felt that we did that. 4. The Indian team played quite a few good rounds. What were some of the learnings during this event? The learnings were many. As a coach, the experience in itself contained a lot of learnings. For the team, we understood that we need to keep in touch with the game more often. I also shared my personal observations with them and gave the feedback to players as to where they could improve in their approach and actions. 5. Two players won medals at the events. What can you say about their overall performance as a team? Both the medalists - Aryan Joshi and Darpan Inani played some great games in the event. Aryan's home preparation gave him the extra boost to perform at a high level. The medal shows that he has great potential. Darpan's solid play gave a lot of points to the team and his experience also helped the team overall. Every player in the team contributed in their own ways. Even the person who was rested always participated in the team preparation. 6. What are your next events? I hope to resume playing in 2022. Currently, I'm focusing on the work at chess.com. 7. Where do you see the Indian blind chess community going from here? We showed that we are very close to bringing a team medal. I observed that the event was closely watched, and the players will use the results as a motivation to practice more. Great results could attract sponsors too. If the federation manages to organize regular events and are consistent with it, it might influence the community to a greater extent. 8. What can an individual do to support this area of chess? 1) Video content creators could announce the moves in the video which will help the blind players to absorb the chess content. 2) Sponsoring the National / State events could also help the top players 3) There could be courses on chess that could be made available to the players. 9. What are your own future goals as a trainer and player? The training assignment just happened, and this was never part of the plan. I went ahead with my gut. I enjoy teaching curious students and have no particular goal in this regard. Regarding the goals as a player, Yes - I hope to resume playing. There is still a lot of work I need to do on my game, and I will start playing once I feel ready. 10. What advice can you give to others who would like to pursue their passions to make that jump start in whatever they are doing? It is hard to give a generic advice. But, I'll tell you what I do: I follow my gut. Sometimes, I may not really get to play the role I want to - but it may eventually happen. For that to happen, patience may be the ingredient. I would like to thank Chess.com for their overall support and my family too for always being there for me. Special thanks to the entire team of AICFB. 24/1/2021 Samarth J. Rao- The Rapid Chess BlizzardThe DR Foundation launched the DRF Chess Tour for the Disabled in January 2021. Over the course of the year, six virtual tournaments would be conducted and the winners will be entitled to sessions with Grandmasters and other titled players. Overall tour winners will receive cash rewards as well as mentorship from the foundation. The first tournament was held on 19th January on the Lichess platform. 25 players participated in the event with great enthusiasm, and Samarth J Rao won convincingly. In this article, we find out more about him and his career in the game. So, let's move on to the Q/A. 1. Can you please introduce yourself? I am a physically challenged Candidate Master. I suffer from a condition known as Cerebral Palsy, which doesn't allow me to walk or stand without support. I couldn't write clearly for a long time as well. Now, I am pursuing my Bachelor's Degree in Commerce. 2. What gave you the motivation to pursue the game at a competitive level? My mother is my chess guru. Observing my condition, she encouraged me to pursue indoor games so that I could play with other friends. She taught me the basics. Then, I learnt more technical knowledge about the game and how to participate in tournaments from another coach. 3. How did you practice? What was your first tournament and some memories from it? I underwent training from a variety of instructors and participated in numerous tournaments. My first coach informed me to participate in the Karnataka State U-25 Championship. I did play and secured a consolation prize, which made me more interested in pursuing chess further. Since then, my father has taken me for a number of tournaments. I have now competed in 80+ tournaments, including 2 in the USA and 5 in Europe. 4. Tell us about your most memorable achievement in chess. My most memorable achievement in chess was at the 2015 IPCA (International Physically Disabled Chess Association) World Chess Championship. Although I was rated lower, I defeated many stronger players and secured the bronze medal. This was my first victory at the World Championship level. Apart from this win, I have other fond memories from the World Junior at USA and participating in the FIDE Online Para Olympiad in 2020. 5. What piece of advice can you give to others? Play the game for your own satisfaction and don't worry too much about the result. Participate in a number of tournaments. Patience is also very crucial. Note- If you are interested in partnering or supporting the project and its cause or are a player yourself, please write to us at [email protected]. 14/1/2021 DRF Chess TourThe DR Foundation, which is the organisation heading Project Checkmate, is launching the DRF Chess Tour. Through the tour, there will be a set of six rapid virtual events for disabled players from all over India over the course of 2021. Participants will be competing for winning a training session with a titled player in each of these competitions. Points to the top ten finishers of each tournament will be awarded upon the completion of the respective event. The overall three winners based on cumulative points shall be given a one-time monetary prize along with career development mentorship from the foundation. The players can compete in any or all of the events, as the latter shall give more chances of winning the overall prizes. All players keen to participate are requested to connect with the foundation via email on [email protected] and shall be given more details about the registration process. With this tour, the DR Foundation and its Project Checkmate aim to continue to nurture the talented youth of the nation through chess and life skills development. Note- If you're interested in partnering with our organisation for the tour, please reach out to us via email. 20/12/2020 Project Checkmate 3.0Project Checkmate 3.0 was organised by the DR Foundation in the months of October and November 2020 to empower a group of visually impaired girls through chess. Classes were conducted virtually by Asian Para Games Chess Medalist Prachurya Pradhan. The students learnt about strategic components involved in chess through short sessions spread out throughout these two months. They were also supported through additional sessions on motivation, career guidance, and overall personal development by the foundation and its partners. For the students, it was an an enjoyable learning experience as they received an opportunity to hone their skills in the game as well as interact with the speakers. For the trainer, Prachurya Pradhan, it was an adventure to share his passion for chess with others as well as inspire the students through his personal journey in the mind sport. Overall, the bootcamp was a great learning curve for all those involved, from the organisation to the beneficiaries. The foundation looks forward to conducting more such workshops. The Project Checkmate 2.0 program was jointly conducted by the All India Chess Federation of the Blind (AICFB) and the DR Foundation from June-August, 2020. The aim was to bring a more holistic approach to learning chess and improving as an all-rounded individual through a series of motivational speakers and Grandmaster chess sessions virtually. Fifteen players were given high quality training, while a few additional students appeared for a session or two.
The program brought forward speakers from the fields of nutrition, sports psychology, winter sports, entrepreneurship, social service, swimming, amongst others. The chess sessions saw the likes of super GM Pentala Harikrishna and top Indian trainers IM Vishal Sareen and R.B. Ramesh besides other titled players. Checkmate 2.0 was a proud host of Arjuna Awardees, Olympians, and other medalists. The participants of the project gained immense knowledge from the experts and master players, adding to their development process in the mind sport. The players were even rewarded with premium memberships from Chess24, which is one of the popular online chess playing portals. Overall, the program was a huge learning experience for all those who were involved and gave a tremendous opportunity to take the blind chess community forward in the country. We've all heard the phrase- "A healthy mind rests in a healthy body." It is a universal force that attracts all humans alike. Chess is usually seen as a game with no movement, so it is considered less like the other sports that are shown on television. However, as we learnt from Dt.Arooshi Aggarwal's session on nutrition for the chess player, the game requires equal if not more energy requirements as any other physically strenuous sport. The reason that Dt.Aggarwal pointed out was that chess demands a lot of glucose for the brain. She said that the gut (small intestine) is extremely important for the mind and brain functioning, so it is essential for chess players to concentrate on improving the gut in their bodies. She implied that our bodies have two brains- one that is very well known to be called the brain, whereas the other one that is often hidden to the public knowledge- the small intestine. The ways to enhance one's gut were to increase one's protein intake along with improving the calcium, zinc, Vitamin D, and magnesium levels in one's body. Dt.Arooshi gave the players a plan to follow for their tournament and training routines. She also mentioned the importance of daily exercise for all, including some aerobic movements. She made the players recognise the vitality of eating small portion sizes and at regular intervals without long-breaks/gaps. She stressed upon consuming alkaline foods and having a balance between proteins, carbohydrates, and fats in one's diet. During the Q/A session, Dt.Arooshi mentioned how important it was to maintain one's hydration, especially during the long matches that a chess player is prone to playing. She focused her advice on increasing the glucose levels as one goes on to compete for the 3-4+ hours of battle on the board. She encouraged the players to take fruits like bananas with them during these games and avoid eating too much sugar or consuming heavy meals before the competition. She stressed the necessity of proper sleep for all, especially when one has to travel to foreign destinations where one finds oneself in different time zones. In fact, she said that the key to healthy nutrition for international tournament travel is to eat local foods that are famous to consume in that particular place. Overall, the session was packed with insightful information and was highly interactive, allowing the players to make the most use of their time to ask questions pertaining to their individual nutritional needs and wants. Now, one can really say why chess is an art, science, sport, and universal form of life. Thanks to Dt.Arooshi Aggarwal for conducting this session for the Project Checkmate 2.0 program organised by the All India Chess Federation of the Blind and the DR Foundation. Psychology in sports is extremely crucial. A player goes through several emotions during a game or a tournament as well as before or after the event. Thus, understanding the essence of sports psychology is essential. In regards to this vital feature of psychology in sports, Project Checkmate 2.0 undertook a second session on the topic led by Ms.Sanika Divekar. She has a Master's degree from the Brunel University in London, U.K. in the subject and is a trained instructor, having worked with several organisations including her own Pink Project that supports athletes through psychological training. The discussion led by Ms.Sanika was extremely interactive. She started off with a question itself posed to the audience comprising of the top 15 blind chess players in India. She asked the participants what sports psychology meant to them. Post analysing this inaugural question, Divekar mentioned that if we think of our minds as a muscle, only then can we gain the toughness required to concentrate on one's sporting journey. Being an athlete herself previously, competing for the country in Table Tennis, Divekar often shared her own thoughts and techniques that she used during her matches, which helped the participants relate on a personal level. She told the players that psychology is individualised and focused on each one of them in a different manner. So, essentially, what may work for one person, might not go well with another despite concerns about sports psychology being generalised in nature. She shared her three insights that she focused on throughout the session. These were how one could have a calmer mind when playing (or handling pressure), what focus meant to the players, and dealing with failure. She topped each one of these topics into sub-themes that were highly interactive and discussion based, making it more relevant for the participants to open-up and share their own experiences. One of the highlights of the session was her idea of self-talk, which really made the players think about how they could use this tool to their success while competing under so-called pressurising situations in a game or a tournament. Another method that stood out for the attendees was her technique called "Spotlight thinking". She told the audience to visualise a stage that is dark with no light at all. Suddenly, there comes a spotlight onto that same podium, which will make those things that come under that spotlight clearly visible. The moral of the story is that one will have ten things that might distract one's mind but one has to build a focus similar to the spotlight, switching this on when playing. The thing to remember to use this spotlight strategy effectively is the ability to be self aware about the factors that one can control and those that one cannot. The final tip given by her during the session was a self-driven exercise called "478". This implied counting from 1-4 and breathing in, holding one's breath for at most 7 counts, and then exhaling for as long as possible, which is usually close to 8 seconds. Overall, the session with Ms.Sanika Divekar helped the attendees to think about their own selves in a different light and pump up their moral while playing chess. It made them understand some key strategies that they can add to their tool kits. Project Checkmate 2.0 organised in a joint venture by AICFB and DR Foundation would like to thank Ms.Sanika Divekar for her support towards the program. Kuntal Joisher is an Indian mountaineer and computer scientist. He is the only Indian vegan mountaineer, and he has conquered Mt.Everest twice, once in 2016 and then in 2019, after two previously unsuccessful climbs. He readily agreed to be a part of the Project Checkmate 2.0 Program and was a great motivator for the participants. The session revolved around him explaining his journey right from where it started till the 2019 Everest summit. Kuntal gave a detailed analysis of his story, sharing some of the minutest details about his career as a mountaineer, which began only by chance as he was an established computer software professional in the United States in California, and later in Mumbai, India. His recollection of memories were natural and could be related to the participants' lives as well. The key takeaways from the session were that one shouldn't lose motivation and be afraid of failure. Kuntal recognised that failure was actually the silver lining in his life. After two unsuccessful near-death attempts at Everest, he still didn't give up and finally managed to climb the summit. He mentions that he was the most unlikely person to succeed at mountaineering given his unhealthy weight condition in the beginning of his journey in 2009-2010. So, he encouraged the listeners by saying that if a person like him can achieve such an unthinkable task, then anyone who focuses hard on one's aspirations can succeed. Besides, he even told the players to go beyond the usual norms and find their own lives' passions and 'Everests'. The irony in his statement regarding his victory in climbing the peak of Everest was that despite having scaled Everest in 2016, he was still not satisfied as he realised the crime that he had conducted by wearing a jacket made by torturing animals. So, he made every attempt to create a customised jacket from a manufacturer in Italy that was 100% vegan and climbed two peaks, Mt.Lhotse and Mt.Everest, in 2018 and 2019 respectively, wearing that merchandise. This attitude of his was something that he said made him achieve true happiness in his life. It was his own goal and dream that he had achieved without losing his spirits. Finally, Kuntal says that nothing is impossible. One has to just make it I-M-POSSIBLE (I am Possible). He refers to his four P's of victory- Planning, Perspiration, Perseverance, and Patience to ultimately reach one's own summit in life! As Project Checkmate 2.0 launched on June 5th, the first session was conducted on sport psychology with the renowned Indian sport psychologist Dr.Janki Deole from Samiksha Sports Pvt.Ltd. Dr.Janki has a PhD in the field of sports psychology from the Straffordshire University in the U.K. and has been practising in this sector since a number of years. She has worked with a variety of sports players including those at the initial stages of their career along with those at the very peak of their journeys. Some of the partnerships that she has had are with the Olympic Gold Quest, BCCI, Indian Men's Hockey National Team, Paris Saint-Germain, amongst others. She has also worked with a number of chess Grandmasters, which made it quite useful for our players, who received a first-hand account of some of the experiences that such GMs have faced while competing on the circuit.
During the session, Dr.Janki emphasised the importance of knowing what pressure is all about. She spoke about three kinds of pressures that exist for chess players- first about their ratings, second about time trouble during matches, and finally about the hurdles of the last game in a tournament. She mentioned that one's current rating has no value for the actual worth of the player on that particular day. It has no indication for the vision that one has for oneself. She spoke about how to control one's thoughts during time pressure in tournament games. She emphasised the importance of not panicking as this will make one take incorrect decisions on the board and have a serious effect on one's intuitive power. Talking about the pressures of the last match in a competition, Dr.Janki said that it is vital to prepare from before about the consequences of the game. She explains that players don't take this seriously enough and only start worrying in the end, which makes them lose focus on their match. A strategy that Dr.Janki mentions to follow is to concentrate on oneself while playing and not on one's opponent. On being asked a question about how to avoid distractions during a game, Dr.Janki says that it is only one's own mind that one can control, so one should just prioritise that instead of worrying unnecessarily on other external factors that may arise. Besides, she also mentions that one must learn how to trust one's instinct, intuition, and experience. She speaks about the vitality of controlling one's breathing and paying attention to it during one's games. Constant practice of a routine is crucial for success in tournaments. Moreover, she exclaims that anxiety is not always bad. Sometimes, a bit of anxiety is necessary to be a competitive player. So, the trick is to not have excessive amounts of anxiety, and when such a situation arises, one must learn to focus on one's thoughts and channelise them into positive ones. The ultimate goal for anyone should be to stay in the present and not focus on the past or the future. In conclusion, she also mentions about the importance of being consistent even when one has won a match. Thus, the regular post-game analysis should be done irrespective of the result of the encounter. Overall, Dr.Janki had a great impact on the participants. Learning about sport psychology and how they can use some techniques enhanced their vision for their ongoing chess careers. Project Checkmate 2.0 would like to thank Dr.Janki for her valuable time for our program in partnership with the All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB). Project Checkmate 2.0 launched on June 5th in association with the All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB). The main purpose of the program is to empower the blind chess community of India and make our nation amongst the top most teams in the world when it comes to professional tournaments and the blind chess circuit. Keeping this in view, Checkmate 2.0 aims to provide players with a short-term online training program that comprises of masterclasses with various professional mentors in different fields as well as top Grandmasters and other titled chess players. Learning from the experience of such guides and coaches will have a direct impact on the visually impaired player's performance in the game and help in the overall improvement of the competitor's intentions in chess and beyond.
The selected players have been chosen by the All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB) according to their latest rules and regulations of seeding participants. There are 15 competitors who have been identified for Checkmate 2.0 and each one of them will be receiving a chance to ask their questions during these sessions. These participants are-
Note- If you are interested in collaborating for any of the foundation's projects and initiatives or wish to be featured on the Checkmate Blog, please send an email to [email protected]. |