Moments that made the Mind Champions Challenge 2025 unforgettable
They can't see the pieces, but they feel the game. They came to play chess but left with so much more. On 23rd February 2025, 35 visually impaired players participated in the Mind Champions Challenge at the Phoenix Matketcity Mall, Kurla. The day witnessed as many exciting matches as beautiful stories. The event was sponsored by the Lions Club of Bombay Uptown with the help of ChessBase India, the All India Chess Federation for the Blind, and Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla. Read the article to relive the unforgettable moments and stories that made this event truly special! Photo: Abhyudaya Ram
Chess is felt, not seen!
"It's all about vision and not visibility." These words spoken by Darpan Irani resonated deeply when I read the stories of the Mind Champions Challenge 2025. The ChessBase India Club in Phoenix Marketcity Mall has hosted many tournaments and witnessed the journeys of thousands of players. But on 23rd February, something truly special unfolded. 35 visually impaired chess players gathered at the venue for a rapid tournament. We hosted the first edition in 2023, and this time, we were eager to see the magic of another edition. It was a 5-round rapid event with a 15+10 time control.
The seeds for this event were sown by Dharmen Shah in December 2024. As the President of the Lions Club of Bombay Uptown, he reached out to ChessBase India with the idea of organising the second edition. The Lions Club has a long history of supporting visually impaired players, so this event was naturally another extension of their commitment. Their generous sponsorship made us focus on creating an exceptional experience for every participant.
And what an experience it was! The club, in fact, supported beyond just financial contribution. Their members, including Mr. Shah, were present throughout the day, not merely as sponsors but as members of the chess community! They interacted with players and their families and watched the games with great enthusiasm. Their gesture made everyone feel valued and supported. It felt like one big, happy chess family!
Honestly, watching them play, you would feel that limitations are often something we put on ourselves. They are the examples that if you believe in yourself, anything can be possible.
Their skills made all the games worth watching! The highlight was, of course, the tie-break between Swapnil Shah and Rohit Jadhav. These two literally fought tooth and nail for every advantage.
The final standings of the tournament were:
Cash prizes up to Rs. 50,000, along with trophies, were awarded to the participants. The top 20 players and the best women player received medals and goodies. The champion, Swapnil Shah, received Rs. 10,000 and a trophy.
Every chess game tells a story. But at this event, some of the most beautiful stories unfolded beyond the chessboard. :)
One such story was of Aniket and Sayali. Their journey is a beautiful reminder that love can blossom anywhere, even amidst life’s challenges. They met in college, fell in love, and two years ago, they tied the knot! Aniket is around 70% visually impaired and runs a business selling watches and goggles. Sayali, who is 100% visually impaired, manages their home. Then something wonderful happened! Aniket taught Sayali chess, and she absolutely loved it! Now, they travel together to tournaments to share their passion for the game. They even made the trip all the way from Pune just for this event! Their story is so inspiring that the Lions Club decided to honor them with the "Bhalerao Award" of Rs. 5,000. It was a truly heartwarming moment!
Then, there was Vishwesh Kochrekar, a chess player and friend of Sagar Shah, who arrived at the tournament with a special mission. He wanted to gift a Braille chess set to someone who needed it the most. And so, he gifted it to Bhim Shinde, who didn't have a chess set at home. It was a simple gesture, yet it spoke volumes about Vishwesh’s generosity.
It seemed like the positive energy at the tournament was infectious. When all these things were happening, Aditya from the Phoenix Marketcity team was so inspired by the event that he arranged a 50% discount at Starbucks for all attendees. Kindness is contagious!
Some stories are told without words:
True insight goes far beyond physical sight! These Champions are living proof of it. They see possibilities where others might see limitations. And in doing so, they inspire us to look beyond our “perceived” limitations.
Check out the entire album here.
Our partner for this event was the All India Chess Federation for the Blind. Their expertise was needed in every aspect of the tournament's organization, from managing registrations and providing Braille chess sets to ensuring the smooth flow of the entire event. We couldn't have done it without them!
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the generous support of Phoenix Marketcity Mall. They have offered us a beautiful space, which inspires us to organise such exciting events.
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Rs. 50,000 Mind Champions Challenge 2023 for Visually impaired chess players this saturday
@ 23/11/2023 by Himank Ghosh (en) |