KOCHI: She is the arbiter of 64 squares. If any chess player feels shortchanged during a tournament, she is there to make sure that the right move is made on the black and white chequered board.When 43-year-old Subha Rakesh left a lucrative banking job to become a dedicated homemaker a few years ago, little did she know that she was stepping into chess arbitrating which involves ensuring that the competitors stick to the rules of the game and championship.
Earlier this year, Subha got the coveted World Chess Federation (FIDE) arbiter title and is currently the lone woman from Kerala to be active in the field of chess arbitrating. “It all started after I began taking my daughter to chess tournaments. The participants had to sit through the entire 7-9 rounds from morning to evening. Instead of loitering outside the hall. I decided to utilise the time by getting involved in arbitrating the tournaments of my children,” says Subha, who is currently the president of Ernakulam Chess Association, the first woman in the state to hold such a position.
Later, Subha, who is not a chess player, attended FIDE’s three-day seminar on chess arbitration for aspiring arbiters. The seminar was conducted by R Ananthram, a top-notch arbiter in India. “At the end of the session, I cleared the exam with the mandatory 80 per cent marks, and Ananthram sir said: You can be a good arbiter.”
Passing the test was not enough as one had to officiate at least three FIDE-rated tournaments in which at least one player should be a foreigner, and submit the experience certificate called ‘Norm’ to FIDE.
“Everything worked in my favour. I did not have to travel outside Kerala to acquire my norm. Last year, I oversaw championships in Angamaly, Kottayam, and Kochi that had foreign participants,” says the arbiter who earned the title in January. The arbiter’s role is challenging and requires a lot of practical knowledge, says Subha who was an arbiter in almost all district tourneys across the state.
“This job has spruced up my counselling and analytical skills. I always observe how other arbiters deal with difficult situations,” says Subha, whose role models are R Ananthram and Gopakumar, member of FIDE’s Fair Play Commission.Recollecting an incident during a state under-17 tournament, Subha says a girl was in tears after she sacrificed her knight.
“Unable to pacify her, the male arbiters gave up. I was able to console her and give the moral support to go ahead in the championship. Children are more comfortable with women arbiters,” she adds. Subha is one of the 31 woman arbiters in India, out of the total 256 active arbiters in the country.
FIDE arbiter is a life-long title, and an arbiter needs to keep a tab on the changes, if any, in rules by attending FIDE’s annual refresher course. “This job is not a high paying one, and some tournaments are conducted without sponsors,” says the arbiter, who is also into teaching Vedic Mathematics.
‘Smart Girl- FIDE’
As part of her efforts to give something back to the game of chess, Subha is into organising tournaments under the brand ‘LITTLE STAR WAR’. She is now upbeat about organising the internationally rated ‘Smart Girl- FIDE’, an All-India Chess Federation’s project to promote chess among Indian girls and women. The five-day event will start from Saturday at Vyttila. “Despite the huge financial burden, I have announced a cash prize of E1 lakh, a first in India for any Smart Girl-FIDE tourney. I think there won’t be a better opportunity to give due regard to women players.”Being at the helm of the district body that is stifled in cash crunch, Subha, who runs Cognizance Chess Academy, is keeping her fingers crossed about hosting a Grand Master tournament in future.