New community space in Vidyavihar wants to take chess to more neighbourhoods

It is a hot and humid day and the Vidyavihar railway station is buzzing with GenZers chatting their way to college Right across the station inside a seemingly quiet business complex Kartik Krishnan is setting up boards inside the new community space The Chess Temple A new extension of the citybased venture Chess Base India the venue is filled with books and boards for any chess enthusiast to walk in and play for freeFreedom to playThe space was inaugurated by Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi on August 15 Quite appropriate says founder Sagar Shah who regularly hosts weekend sessions in GhatkoparYoungsters play chess at the venue right A boy browses through the collection of InformatorsldquoOver the years chess has evolved and grown as a sport What it lacks is a place where people can exchange information read books and play gamesrdquo he points outFrom the outside the venue looks like any ordinary business enterprise As you enter the narrow corridor opens up into a cosy welllit space The floor is designed in square blocks of blue and white mats giving it the appearance of a chess board There are boards with pieces laid out alongside cushions already ldquoThe idea is to keep it an open free space for everyonerdquo Krishnan shares Players looking for a challenge can turn to the lsquochess problem of the dayrsquo posted on the wall and find a solution on their boardDevadatt ModakBooks galoreThe real treasure lies inside the cupboards mdash a collection of over 1000 books on chess donated by Devadatt Modak from Nashik It was this donation that led to the decision to open up a new space Shah admits Modak 70 was a passionate chess enthusiast whose love for the game began in his early teens ldquoMy father developed a fondness for chess while pursuing his PhD in London University He introduced me to itrdquo the veteran shares over a phone call Although he did not participate in many tournaments Modak remained passionate about buying books ldquoI subscribed to the magazine Chess Mate as well as the Russianlanguage magazines like 64 and Shakhmaty V SSR I learnt Russian to understand themrdquo he revealsAs a bank employee Modak was also financially stable to pursue this passion With passing age reading became a difficult task After much thought he reached out to Shah nearly six months ago with the idea ldquoI did not want the books to be split up in 10 different places I know Sagar through his wife Amruta and the work they were doing It felt rightrdquo Modak sharesThe QR code needs to be scanned to access the collection on phone right The venue boasts of an array of rare magazines from the collectionThe collection is a treasure trove for enthusiasts of the game Shah tells us ldquoSome of them are as rare as they get Before the Internet these books and magazines were the only way people could learn or discover new movesrdquo the founder explainsKrishnan shows us one of such rare series of books referred to as Informators ldquoOnce upon a time people would contemplate on moves for days The entire game with an opponent overseas would pan out in correspondence A single move could take months These books contain all such games moves and the dates along with details of correspondencerdquo he sharesSagar ShahCoded and readyOver the last six months the team has labelled marked and categorised the books for easy access There is a QRcode by the door for people to scan allowing them to browse through the categories ldquoOur only condition is that you cannot take the books home You are welcome to read and even donate your own booksrdquo he sharesShah reveals that talks are on to transform the venue into a regular space for chess workshops and events for players and arbitrators referees in chess ldquoThe idea is to transform it into a community space that welcomes the amateur and the professional alikerdquo he says The moves seem rightAT The Chess Temple 507 Damji Shamji Trade Center Vidyavihar WestTIME 1 pm to 8 pm dailyFREE