Checkmate in Chennai: This park is a haven for chess players

Last week, one of the most exciting stories in the sports pages of the newspaper was Grandmaster R Vaishali’s triumph at the Candidates Tournament in Pegeia, Cyprus, on April 15. The Chennai-based chess player became the first Indian woman to win this prestigious event which was established in 1952. With this landmark victory, Vaishali is now set to become only the second Indian woman to compete in the World Championship — an accomplishment that is no mean feat.

Would it be a stretch to say that the city she is from has played an integral role in her life? Not really, considering that of the 83 grandmasters in India, 29 are from Tamil Nadu. From this subset, it is reported that 15 are from one Chennai school, Velammal Vidyalaya in Mogappair — Vaishali’s alma mater.