20 ChessBase Premium Accounts Giveaway for emerging chess players
Chess in India is on the rise with many Indian players shining on the national and international platforms. Still, there are certain regions like the North-East and Jammu & Kashmir where players are struggling due to a lack of resources and support. Shivaji Apte and Sidharth Priolkar have decided to donate 20 ChessBase Premium accounts to the emerging players from these regions. Their goal is to bridge the gap and provide players with advanced tools and opportunities. If you are a chess player from these areas, read the article to find out how you can apply.
The Joy of Giving
Philanthropy is such a powerful word! Imagine your small help can fulfill someone’s biggest need. You are not just giving something; in fact, you are creating a meaningful difference in someone else’s journey. You are opening doors of opportunity or supporting someone’s dreams.
This is exactly what Shivaji Apte did during the Chennai Grandmasters 2024. At the event, there was a ChessBase India stall at the tournament venue with a variety of products for sale. Instead of purchasing something for himself, this gentleman came with the intention of donating. He bought 10 ChessBase Premium accounts and asked us to donate them to the players in need.
Shivaji Apte is originally from Goa, currently living in Bangalore. He is the leader of the Architecture at Finacle EV which is the software products division of Infosys. For him, chess wasn’t a love at first sight. He knew the basic rules but the game became a significant part of his life during his college days.
To escape ragging, some of us used to go into the trees behind college buildings. And chess came as a way to kill time. - Shivaji Apte
Soon, he met Anil Raje from Kolhapur who was also living in Goa during that period. Shivaji considered him not only a friend but also a guru, as it was through his guidance Shivaji’s interest in chess grew further. From tactics to the AI revolutions like AlphaZero, every aspect of the game fascinated him.
Over the years, Shivaji has had good memories of chess both on and off the board. He had beaten a grandmaster in a simul in the US and drew with another grandmaster in an ICC online simul. Yet, meeting Viswanathan Anand in person during the Chennai Olympiad 2022 is the greatest memory for him.
During the pandemic, Shivaji trained over 200 students online after getting inspired by Sagar Shah’s video on ‘The 7 Mystical Laws of Abundance’. Now he is taking his love for the game a step further by donating 10 ChessBase Premium accounts to deserving young talents.
It’s not every day that someone takes the initiative to help chess players and in doing so, inspires their friends and family to do the same. But that’s exactly what Shivaji Apte did. After talking about his donation with his friend, Sidharth Priolkar, Sidharth also got motivated to contribute in a similar way. He teamed up with Shivaji Apte and together, they have donated 20 ChessBase Premium accounts.
After talking to Shivaji, I also felt like donating. - Sidharth Priolkar when asked about his inspiration behind this donation.
Sidharth is currently living in California working in the consumer electronics industry. His love for chess came through his 13-year-old son, who started playing the game during the lockdown. One of Sidharth’s most cherished memories is seeing his son’s excitement when they met Sagar Shah at the ChessBase India Club in Mumbai earlier this year.
In the age of TikTok and YouTube and whatnot, I love it that OTB chess forces my son to concentrate for 3-4 hours at a time. That’s huge for me. - Sidharth Priolkar
As per the donors' wish, we would be giving the accounts to two players each from these Indian states: Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, and Jammu & Kashmir. They hope to inspire young talents from these regions to pursue chess with dedication.
Why these states?
After seeing the recent performances of many Indian players, India is expected to be the next big thing in chess. However, we don’t see the same level of growth for the game in all the states across India. On one hand, we have states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Maharashtra with the most number of grandmasters, and on the other hand, we have the North-Eastern states that comparatively have very few strong players. These states have traditionally leaned more toward football as their primary sport. But slowly, things are changing with efforts being made to promote chess in these regions.
One recent example is of Meghalaya where chess has been integrated into school curriculums. This initiative is taken considering the significant psychological benefits chess can offer. If similar initiatives are replicated across other North-Eastern states, we might witness a chess boom in those regions in the coming years.
Similarly, in Jammu and Kashmir, chess has been growing steadily over the years, with several local tournaments being organized to promote the game. However, the players are still facing challenges due to limited resources and support. Soham Kamotra became the first International Master of Jammu and Kashmir in August this year. His achievement definitely inspires other local players to aim higher and achieve similar success. While private chess academies are trying their best to nurture and support local talent, there is still a long journey ahead to fully develop the chess ecosystem in this region.
If you are a chess player from one of these states or know someone who deserves this opportunity, please fill out this Google Form.
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