PROJECT CHECKMATE BY-DEVANSHI RATHI

1. PROJECT CHECKMATEBY-DEVANSHI RATHI

2. Introduction • This project was started with an aim to teach chess to the underprivileged and blind children. • Through this project, students have learnt how to play the game and have also learnt ways to improve their games. • Students have got the opportunity to participate in various chess events like tournaments, simultaneous matches, quizzes, lectures on chess history, etc.

3. Aim • The aim of this project is to teach children how to play better chess and at the same time learn some important life lessons through the game. • This project enables the students to think creatively, use their resources, and launch an attack. • It helps them grow in their lives and tries to make their lives more meaningful.

4. Beginnings • The project began in April 2016 at the Ishwar NGO in New Delhi. • Classes were held twice a week for two hours each. • There were close to twenty students learning under this project. • They were taught various tools and techniques to improve their games.

10. Activities • Lectures on chess themes, pattern recognition, tactics, rules, openings, middle games, endgames, and grandmaster games. • Sessions on current chess news and chess history. • Online training program software was installed. • Regular practice matches were organised. • Simultaneous exhibition matches were played against Devanshi.

12. Tournaments participated in by students at Ishwar NGO • Students took part in various tournaments in New Delhi. Some of them are- • Delhi State Rapid Chess Championship 2016 • Chess for Children Rapid Chess Championship, August 2016- A student even won the third position in the U-15 category • Chess for Children Rapid Chess Championship, November 2016

17. 1st Ishwar NGO Tournament • A one-of- a kind chess tournament was organized at the Ishwar NGO in the month of May, 2016. • Students played with international FIDE tournament rules. • Certificates were sponsored by Chess for Children with Tania Sachdev. • All students also received AICF Chronicles as prizes.

19. Chess Library at Ishwar NGO • Through this program, the students have been able to read chess books with ease. • A chess library with close to ninety chess books has been setup at the NGO. • The books range from tactics and grandmaster games to endgame classics. • The books were collected as part of a donation campaign. • Some of the contributors were- Indian Chess Promoters, International Rated Chess Players, and Devanshi herself. • Students can take the books home and once they have finished reading can return them and issue another one.

20. Board Games Club at Ishwar NGO • This venture is quite unique as this project aims to develop chess and board games are an important aspect of it. • A variety of board games have been donated to the NGO and students can now play with each other during their free time or on holidays.

21. Other donations to Ishwar NGO • There have been a lot of other donations made. Some of these are- • Note-books • Stationery • Pencil boxes • Lunch Boxes • Water Bottles • Bags • Reading books for children

22. Special days at Ishwar NGO • There were two special days organized at the NGO for all the children present. These were- • Mango Panna Day- On a hot, sunny afternoon in April, students were refreshed with a Mango Panna drink specially prepared at home by Devanshi. • Ice-Cream Day- In July, one of Devanshi’s aunts came to the NGO and distributed ice-creams to all the students.

23. Online Training Program • The students were trained on how to use the computer for their chess improvement. • A software was installed on the NGO System from where the students could easily play against the computer and improve their games. • This was a new discovery for them and made them quite excited and enthusiastic.

24. Chess Kits • Special chess kits were prepared by Devanshi for students participating in the Delhi State tournament. • These kits contained a chess board along with the pieces, a note-book, a pen, and a sheet on tournament tips authored by Devanshi herself. • These were made in view of preparing the students for their first ever tournament.

25. Chess Notes- A book by Devanshi • This book was finally self-published by Devanshi in November,2016 after four years of writing and editing. • The book was distributed to all the students at Ishwar NGO who were learning under the program. • The book contains ideas on chess improvement and has some experiences to share about the international chess circuit.

26. Fundraiser Stall • This stall was set up at the annual Diwali Mela of the Sadhna Enclave Colony in New Delhi in October, 2016. • Diyasand Jelly were sold as a part of this stall. • The stall collected USD 325. • This fund was used for further project development.

28. Expansion • The project now moved from teaching underprivileged children only to teaching blind students at the National Association of the Blind, New Delhi as well. • Blind students learning under this program were given Devanshi’s book in the Braille version. • The funds collected from the fundraiser were used to fund their National Schools’ Participation. • Classes were conducted via Skype and students were given tips on ways to improve their game. They were also taught about various chess tools on the internet, which they could use to their benefit and about the history of the game.

29. Blind students participating in tournaments • The students at NAB participated at various tournaments. Some of them were- • National Schools Chess Championship, Maharashtra, November 2016.- Students won three prizes there and most of them finished in the top ten. • North Zone Chess Championship for the Blind, December 2016- Students qualified for the National B, 2017. • Eminent Chess Academy Christmas Carnival- Students won medals for their performance in this event. • National B Chess Championship for the Blind- Three students participated and one student got his FIDE Rating as well. • Eight students participated in the 14th Smt. Mohini Virendra Singh Inter-school Chess Championship ,2017 organized by Modern School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi.

33. Grandmaster Simultaneous at NAB • In the month of February 2017, ten students participated in a Grandmaster simultaneous with AGM Nishant Malhotra. • They got an opportunity to play against the Grandmaster and ask him questions. • It was a memorable experience for both the students as well as the grandmaster.

35. Coaching Camp with GM Jacob Aagaard • Three students from the National Association of the Blind participated in the GM Coaching Camp with GM Jacob Aagaard on 30 and 31 March,2017. • They learnt about decision-making in chess. • They met the GM personally and were interviewed by Chessbase India. • They also got a chance to meet another Grandmaster-Abhijeet Gupta, who had also come for this camp.

37. Our partners • Delhi Dynamite, Pro Chess League Team • Chess for Children with IM Tania Sachdev • Devachess Foundation • National Association of the Blind, New Delhi • Ishwar NGO, New Delhi • Modern School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi

39. In the collections of • The Better India, June 2016 • Scoonews, June 2016 • Chessbase India, May 2016 • Pearson India appreciating on Twitter, May 2016 • India Mantra, July 2016 • YourStory, June 2016 • SportsCrunch, December 2016 • Jaipur Women Blog, December 2016 • Chess.com, October 2016 • Daily Hunt, June 2016 • Hindustan Times, June 2016 • YourStory, March 2017 • Follow Your Sport, March 2017 • Newsd, March 2017 • Sportskeeda, March 2017 • Chessbase India, March 2017 • Hindustan Times Sport, April 2017 • Newsd, April 2017 • HarikaDronavalli appreciating on Twitter, April 2017 • Chessbase India, April 2017

40. Honors • Hindustan Times Paathshaala, Champion of the Day, June 2016. • Indian Youth Forum Top 100 Youth Leader’s Award, January 2017. • PHD House Award for exemplary work in the field of social service.

41. Thank You • This is just the beginning and I hope to make this project grow to greater heights in the coming future. • Website- www.projectcheckmate.weebly.com • Facebook Page- Project Checkmate