Street chess event brings the community together in Hyderabad
The Hyderabad chess community is growing day by day. They are organising exciting events one after the other. Recently, they organized a street chess event to connect chess lovers and foster the community. The event happened at People’s Plaza from 6 am to 8 am. It featured a blitz tournament, which saw around 60 participants. It was organized by the Telangana Democratic Chess Development Committee. Check out the article for the full report. Photos: Kandi Ravi
Street Chess Chronicles
Street chess is a fantastic way to unite chess lovers and bring chess to the public. It attracts passersby to join or simply observe the game. Naturally, it sparks conversations and raises awareness, and this is nothing but a step towards building the community! This grassroots approach is common in many cities worldwide.
Following this global trend, the chess community in Hyderabad organized its own Street Chess event. On the 2nd of March, the Telangana Democratic Chess Development Committee (TDCDC) hosted the event near People's Plaza, Necklace Road, from 6 am to 8 am. Their goal was to promote chess and introduce it to a wider audience.
It was an open-to-all event in which over 60 people participated in the fun. The TDCDC provided chess boards and clocks to encourage onlookers to try their hand at the game. For newbies, they provided brief introductions to the rules and basic strategies. As everything was available, there was every reason to give chess a try!
The highlight of this event was the blitz tournament. Participants quickly adapted to the fast-paced format, and there were some exciting matches. Sri Bollam Sampath served as the Chief Arbiter, with Sri Daya Bethi assisting as Deputy Arbiter. They both ensured the smooth running of the tournament. The final standings were:
| Rank | Name | Score | Prize (Rs.) |
| 1 | Surya Kotha | 5.5/6 | 2000 |
| 2 | Vijay Kumar Agarwal | 5/6 | 1500 |
| 3 | M. Tulasi Ram Kumar | 5/6 | 1000 |
| 4 | Vangala Prashanth | 4.5/6 | 500 |
| 5 | Karan J.P. | 4/6 | 400 |
| 6 | Natura Bethi | 4/6 | 300 |
| 7 | Bollam Sampath | 4/6 | 300 |
The event was made possible through the generous sponsorship of BS Chess Academy, Maestro Chess Academy, Tactica Chess Academy, Genius Chess Academy, Telangana Chess Academy, and Excellent Chess Academy.
A dedicated team of individuals, including Kandi Ravi, Sampath, Daya Bethi, Mahendar, Y. Ramesh, Agarwal, Tulasiram, and Sreehari, worked tirelessly to organize the program. Other key members of TDCDC who contributed to the event's success include Amithpal Singh, Sameer Kumar, Rishipal Singh, Anoop Kumar, Naresh Tejavath, Mahesh, Praveen, Srikanth Sharma, Gummadi Sravanthi, Suresh, Jagan, Rajendra, Rajini Kanth, and Rajkumar.
This Street Chess event was superhit! It sparked a new interest in the game, and it once again showed the city's love for chess.
This article is edited by Rasika Ratnaparkhi.
About the author
Kandi Ravi is a FIDE Instructor, Senior National Arbiter, and Arena International Master with a passion for chess. He works with S.C. Railways at Secunderabad and is dedicated to promoting and developing the game. You can reach out to him on 9440571410 or 8790327500.