While a commerce teacher at Ramakrishna Mission Higher Secondary School in T Nagar, R. Baskaran would explain the nuts and bolts of board meetings as part of the syllabus. Retired, he now organises “board meetings”, only that the board in question is way different from the one he discussed back at school.
These meetings are centred around the chess board.
Under Manitham Charitable Trust (at Rangarajapuram in Kodambakkam) that he founded in 2019, Baskaran organises free chess coaching for underprivileged children. He carries out this form of service with the help of Hari Hara Sudhan, an international chess player with a FIDE rating of 2120. Sudhan has over 10 years of coaching experience.
Together, they have neen conducting free chess coaching for underprivileged children ranging from age 3 to 15 across Chennai. Not just the underprivileged, any student can sign up for a free chess coaching programme whenever it is offered.
They began this form of service in August 2022, when they organised a coaching programme for 70 students at the Circular Library in Ashok Nagar. Among the other significant coaching programmes is the one they had at Discovery Book Palace in K.K.Nagar. These programmes culminate in certificates and awards ceremony. The duo collaborates with various government schools, conducting free chess coaching classes with the school’s permission.
They have scheduled a free chess coaching programme for July 13 and 14 at Discovery Book Palace in K.K.Nagar; and subsequently on July 16 and 18 at Guntur Subbiah Pillai T. Nagar Girls. Higher Secondary School.
Interested students can join the classes. For further details they can also reach Hari hara sudhan through whatsApp (6380415787).
(Agisha Angel is an intern with The Hindu)
