Off the Board Tales #4 – Patrick D’Souza
Off the Board Tales is a series by ChessBase India, where the premise revolves around people who are passionate about chess despite it not being their career. An emotional and short story is what you're up for, so read on for tales of joy, tales of aspirations, tales of sorrows, and tales of success. Patrick D’Souza is a six-time 100%iler of the CAT Exams, an ardent chess lover with 1600 ELO, and runs the Patrick 100 Academy.
The chess player who cracked CAT six times.
On an idle Sunday afternoon when I first picked up the chess pieces, I was unaware of how much this game would impact me later. I really only liked the game when I won, and to my surprise I’d win a good amount of them as a kid. I became my college chess captain, organized tournaments of my own, and played regularly out of thrill.
But none of these were official FIDE rated tournaments, and I yearned for a competitive taste of chess. And so, I was off to Sangli with high hopes, yet in 5 rounds I scored a mere 2.5 points. Up until that moment I had tried every single trick in the book, but was frustrated with the lack of results. I decided that I’d throw all the openings out of the window, and play with my intuition. A rash move, but it eased the pressure from my mind, and I won the next 4 games straight, finishing with a rating of over 1600 ELO in my first ever tournament
Even so, I was more engrossed in my business, and I resorted to playing occasionally just to retain the rating. However, I did teach my kids Ynez and Euan how to play, and they continue to enjoy it as well.
It was an ambition of mine to have a business and people began asking around for CAT exam tutors. Having taken it before, I taught them with my experience, which caught on quite well. That’s when I knew what I was best at, and that’s what I’ve done since.
Do I regret my choice to abandon chess? Not really, as beyond idle reflection, I’ve never felt like compromising doing what I love. Had I pursued chess further, I’d probably never have ended with the same passion I have now. At the same time, chess gave me better logical skills and discipline, which goes a long way. I tend to tell my students that being calm works wonders, as it did for me in both the tournament hall and exam center. I’ve scored 100%ile in the CAT 6 times now, and teach students from all over India who are now in top colleges. Chess has helped me pave the way to my true passion, and thank all it’s done for me.
About the Author:
Avathanshu Bhat is a 16 year old from Mumbai. He is the Editor-in-Chief for ChessBase India Juniors and Manager for ChessBase India's Elite Pass. He recently began a new series called 'Off the Board Tales' on ChessBase India's social media pages. He is a voracious reader, a Nolan film enthusiast, and is passionate about everything tech and games.