HYDERABAD: The Culinary Academy of India (CAI) attempted to set a world record by crafting a 550 kg chocolate chessboard. The creation was a tribute to chess champions, including Viswanathan Anand, D Gukesh, and other icons of the sport.
According to the CAI, this is the largest chessboard made entirely of edible ingredients—a 16 feet x 16 feet (256 sq. ft.) masterpiece. It featured an extraordinary king piece towering at 3 feet, showcasing exceptional artistry and innovation. The base of the sculpture was constructed from solid chocolate slabs, while the pieces were meticulously reinforced with armature for stability.
Over 50 aspiring chefs and 10 senior chef instructors worked tirelessly for 96 hours straight to create the chocolate structure.
The greatest challenge was maintaining the ideal temperature for the delicate sculptures, as chocolate is highly sensitive to temperature and softens easily in warmer conditions.
The feat was achieved under the guidance of Chef Sudhakar N Rao, Director/Principal of the academy, with support from Chef Akshay Kulkarni, HOD, and Chef Attique, Senior Chef Instructor.
Prof Balakista Reddy, Chairman of TGCHE; Prof Sriram Venkatesh, Secretary of TGCHE; and Divith Reddy, Under-8 World Champion in Classical Chess (Italy) and Rapid Chess (Albania), attended the presentation event.