My exposure to chess was from an early age. The earliest I can recall having been taught the basic movements of chess pieces was by cousin Manjunath. He had been sent from Bangalore to study his engineering here. I was in 7th class or so and I would watch him play with a friend. At times he would be reminded by my grandmother to study because he engaged himself playing chess during his exam time. He had an excuse, one that I would adapt years later, saying that the game of chess would improve concentration and memory. But it was not enough to convince her.
In those beautiful times so many board games were played within the family and among the children in the streets as well. Nobody at home was playing chess before Manju's entry and stay for just 3 years until his end came shockingly. Probably my father and grandfather also knew chess, I know not. I think, someone brought his chess set here to play till the time I was bought one. I had picked up the game easily by playing with friends, sometimes guided by Manju in the early stages as he watched us play. After Saturday's 'morning class', I remember my friend Gopi coming to play during high school days. In later years Sridhara, MG Ravi and several others came to play. It was a fantastic pastime.
[Click on images to see magnified view]
One of the early 'toys' that came to us was this plastic set [above], most likely purchased at the Dasara Exhibition where toy shops were a great attraction. Luckily, all pieces are in tact! The paper and cardboard chessboard did not last long.
Showing a few of our heirloom dolls, my grandmother used to mention these are 'Chaduranga pawns' [the old name of chess]. A few have survived. Extreme left must be the 'King'.
It was in my high school days that I played chess more often than at any other time in my later life. In early college days, Shankar used to bring his father's popular chess book written by a champion in the 50s in which famous games played by J.R.Capablanca, Boris Spassky, et al were recorded. We replayed a few to see how intelligently they moved their pieces in different types of openings, endings and gambits. Our newspaper's weekly supplement also carried notes on chess games which I curiously studied.
Shankar's book was something like this, showing moves. They were in 'P-K4' [Pawn to King Four] numbering. The chessboard numbering was later modified as 1-8 and a-h to which I never got familiar.
During the annual day sports events at the 'Keerthi Typing Institute' which I was attending in 1973-4, I took part in chess. I beat two people and lost to the next having run out of patience as they were played in a chain. I learnt patience and calm thinking were keys to 'holding fort' in chess!
There was an interesting, very active, old retired govt. doctor in the opposite 'Liver House', Dr.Rama Shastry. He carried a nickname of 'Bappu', very intelligent chess player with great expertise. I had seen him play with his old friend as I used to go there whenever I pleased. A huge vintage desk and his bed occupied most of his tiny room. He mostly lay on his bed due to a chronic back problem, but sat up during play or whenever he had to go out.
Bappu had known I could give good chess games. So I went to him nearly every evening in the mid to late 70s and we would play 2-3 games. It was also providing me good experience. It was a challenge to play well against him. It was from him that I learnt that the white corner square has to be to our right. He was extremely hard to beat but I have the privilege of checkmating him once, just once in a hundred plus games we played! That evening I felt like having won something very big that deserved a newspaper headline! It was the first time I saw him sheepishly struggling to see himself a loser while I was enjoying my ecstasy! But he was happy for me. He was also one of the old generation players who used the word 'Shah' for 'check' in chess. 'Shah' is a Persian word to warn the opponent King thus.
Bappu's chessboard was a big one. He had 'laminated' it with a thin white cloth for durability. The wood pieces were large and beautiful. I wanted to have one such of my own!
This small cane table was a gift to a one-year-old me from the family. My carpentry and painting skills were useful to make a large chessboard from the available pieces of hard board at home. Nailed it to the table-top so that it also protected the cane surface.
1978 it was. Endless number of games were played on it.
If my memory serves right, it was Bappu who also suggested me the shop where these wooden chess pieces were sold - DVG Road, Gandhi Bazar, Bangalore, luckily it was close to the place where my relative/s were. On my next visit to Bangalore - must be 1980, league cricket had taken me there - I was in utter glee when the shopkeeper showed me what I was looking for! It was a small shop that sold board games and other small items. I used the pocket money plus a small sum borrowed from father to purchase. The neat wooden box has a sliding lid. Later I pasted gift paper on it for a colourful look.
Beautifully crafted wooden pieces.
Not so beautiful!
Some family friend was visiting one day when I and brother were engaged in chess. There was a little boy who had accompanied them. After they were gone, we found one pawn missing. I felt very angry and bad. Using my carpentry skills, I made the replacement using balsa wood, pieces of which I had from my aeroplane making [a little story in another blog].
Aside from Bappu, I used to play with one Masood. He was the brother of my good friend Zakir whom I used to visit every now and then [sons of Dr.B.Sheik Ali, VC of two Varsities]. Masood [no more now] was also a very good player and I am proud to have beat him once, trapping the castled rook and king - he had failed to spot my simple plan!
The last I played frequently was in the mid 80s, with Sanjay [Geeta Book House family], much younger to me. He was playing well and I used to beat him more often. He remembers those enjoyable games even now. It was a lot of fun. One Sandeep, who was also from our friends group used to join.
This Sandeep played good chess. He and his friend Sid[dharth] Mookerji [who now owns SPI] played chess 'in the mail' as Sid was in another city. In each letter they would write a chess move and thus one game would extend several months! And when computers came to workplaces, I tried to play chess 'with the computer' but never found it interesting. It was 'more intelligent' than me! Perhaps it contributed a little bit in diluting my enthusiasm to play, what with not finding interested people. But not for nothing the game of Chess is so popular worldwide.
It is unfortunate that the electronic-gadgets-distracted younger generation is completely unaware of the beauty of this great game.
Do you know chess? How proudly we used to say 'YES'!
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