An educational institution based in Kolkata is organizing a chess tournament among students with the purpose of popularizing the sport because it believes that chess can be a powerful tool to deal with two problems caused by the lockdowns: isolation and mental health problems. .
Chaturanga, a two-day tournament taking place this weekend, is being organized by the Nava Nalanda Alumni Association (NNAA) in conjunction with the Nava Nalanda Group of Schools and will be held at Nalanda Bhavan in south of Kolkata. It will be held under the direction of Sara Bangla Daba Sangstha, loosely translated, All Bengal Chess Association. Alumni from any school or college can participate, except that for an institution to be represented, at least three of its alumni must register, or a candidate can join individually.
“We will have prizes in both categories, both individual and alumni. So far, we have received 117 entries. We are checking the forms for duplication and speaking with each participant to make sure there are no dropouts. We would like to have at least 100 participants for the event,” said Dyuti Kanta Lahiri Chowdhury of NNAA. the hindu.
Explaining why chess, Mr. Lahiri Chowdhury said: “COVID-19 was not limited to just physical health, it also had a huge impact on our mental health. Confined to their own homes, people suffered from anxiety, loneliness, and mental fatigue. The best cure for such conditions is sports. But since outdoor sports are not possible in a lockdown situation, indoor games are the only option and there can be no better indoor game than chess. Keeps your brain active.
The event has the blessing of Grand Master Dibyendu Barua, who has already confirmed his presence for the award ceremony. The participants will include several well-known chess players from West Bengal, such as Mitrabha Guha, Neelash Saha, Kaustav Kundu and Aronyak Ghosh.
“Chess as a game has great potential in our country and in West Bengal. However, the number of popular tournaments is very small. That is why we pioneered the concept of a chess tournament at the alumni level. The platform is not only good for the game, but also for creating a bond between the students. Sport brings people together and builds relationships, something very important in today’s nuclear society. This tournament is just the beginning,” said Mr. Lahiri Chowdhury.
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