THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : “If a person is determined to work hard and achieve bigger things. Then blindness or other impediments will not be a barrier for them,” says P Balaraman, a national chess champion.
It was 20 years back that Balaraman was introduced to the game of chess by his parents KV Menon and Santhakumari. “I was partially blind until the age of 10. But when I got hit in the eye while playing cricket with my brother, it took away my vision completely. I used to play chess with my friends as I could not play any outdoor games. My parents also helped me to develop an interest in chess,” he adds. Since then, Balaraman’s love for chess has grown manyfold.
Balaraman was the state champion between 2002 and 2008 during which he won the South Zone Championship. He has participated in national and the Asian chess tournamnets. He is also probably one of the first blind chess champions from Kerala.
This chess champ, who now teaches the game to visually impaired children at Jyothirgayama Foundation visualises the pawns and contemplates his next move on his customised wooden chess board placed in front of him. He then picks up a pawn and moves it towards the king and excitedly calls out ‘Checkmate’.
“There are currently seven students who are being trained in chess at Jyothirgayama. I give chess classes to the students at least twice a week. I help them understand and grasp the rules as well as the tactics involved in playing the game,” shares Balaraman. Recently, he participated in the chess championship held at Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram.
The only aspect that is different when it comes to Balaraman’s game as compared to other sighted chess players is the design of the chessboard and the pawns. He uses a wooden chessboard with holes in the middle of every square and nails affixed with the pawns. Through this, he gets to know whether it is the king, queen, knight or bishop. “Chess is a game that requires just vision and not visibility. If you follow your moves correctly, you are sure to excel,” he says. Besides being a chess player, Balaraman helps other visually challenged in the city by familiarising them with using android apps on mobile.