He was on a promotional visit to Suchitra Academy to popularise chess as part of his two-day trip to Hyderabad. But, on Tuesday, Ali Nihat Yazici ,vice-president of FIDE world chess governing body and chairman of Chess in Schools Commission of FIDE, was ‘checkmated’ by the spontaneity of academy director Praveen Raju who offered to host the World Junior Chess Championship anytime.
“We are already into chess promotion and the sport is part of our curriculum thanks to our partnership with Lanka Ravi’s Cyber Chess Academy,” he told the FIDE official.
In fact, Ali Nihat was floored by the novel concept with which the schoolchildren played a game of chess as the 64 squares were marked on the marble flooring itself. Two teams headed by Shiva Prasad, vice-president of AP Chess Association, and Ali Nihat on either side and the children impressed the select audience with their mastery of the moves.
Responding to the offer from Suchitra Academy, the FIDE vice-president assured that he would take up the matter with the senior officials. Ali Nihat and AP Chess Association officials want to impress upon Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to include chess as part of the school curriculum like in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. “I am sure the government will react positively. Who knows? A world champion could emerge from this group of intelligent and chess-loving students,” Ali Nihat said.
Maj. Shiva Prasad said the two-day inter-schools event at Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy indoor stadium on February 20 and 21 is being held simultaneously with the National Team Championship featuring some of the leading grandmasters of the country.
