KOCHI: Chess in Kerala is showing signs of good health after going into an irreversible downward slide just a few years ago. As recently as 2017, Kerala hardly witnessed any FIDE-rated or national-level chess championships. Compare that to the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu where an average of 18-20 World Chess Federation tournaments is held every year, the picture becomes clear.
Players from Kerala were forced to travel more often to neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and spend a lot to participate in these tournaments. All of this changed when the parents of some passionate chess players decided to take matters into their own hands. And, 2018 turned out to be a watershed year for the game in Kerala with a new trend emerging. Ernakulam was at the heart of it all.
Chess clubs from the district and parents of some city-based players have taken it upon themselves to breathe new life into the sport. More than six FIDE rated tournaments were held in the district in 2018 thanks to the efforts of chess clubs, academies and parents. As for 2019, though it is only July, two FIDE tournaments and one national championship have already been conducted in Kochi.
Close to eight major tournaments have been successfully held in the state.
“A lot of parents who travelled with their children to participate in chess tournaments used to spend hours together outside the hall. During such long hours, some of us got talking and explored the idea of organising tournaments ourselves. That was a starting point and there was a lot of positive response towards this idea,” said Mini Elizabeth George, a member of the 4 Queens Chess Club based in Ernakulam.
It was the 4 Queens Club which started the trend of parents organising FIDE-rated chess tournaments in Kerala. Manju, Sandhya Krishnakumar, Mini Elizabeth George and Mercy Thomas formed the club which recently hosted the Under-17 national chess championship in Kochi.“When people saw that four women can organise such tournaments, parents everywhere started doing the same. That is how the new trend started. Now parents groups in places like Thiruvananthapuram and Wayanad have started to organise FIDE tournaments. Players from across the state are able to participate without having to travel much or spend a lot of money,” Mini said.
However, things are not smooth. The clubs do feel financial pinch. Everything from prize money to providing accommodation and other expenses takes a lot and finding sponsors remains their biggest challenge. “In Tamil Nadu, there is no shortage of sponsorship. Big companies give the money and everything else is taken care of. Here, it is a herculean task.
Sometimes we've had to spend from our own pockets. But we are happy to see more people coming forward. At the end of the day, we are doing it for the players,” Mini said.At the inauguration of the national chess championship held last week, AICF secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan had recently lavished praise on Kerala for hosting multiple tournaments.