Olympiad Torch, Tech M & Vishy!
We attended the Pune Olympiad torch event, well organized by Tech Mahindra from where we went on to do a celebrate the international chess day at Pune office which had tournament & whole day chess event which became a huge success and VCA team could connect with Vishy a week before,
Success happens Twice, once in Mind and then in Reality!
We a team of 14 members, gave such a deep thought to everything for our visit to Chess Olympiad! For 3 days, we decided to have 3 distinct set of T-Shirts just to showcase our passion for the game. Yes, VCA’s Vision statement is “Chess for All”, it was time for all of us to showcase this in one of the biggest events, that too in India! Nothing can be bigger and better than this. So, we all were inspired, ideas and thoughts came from everyone in the team, also from few of those who weren’t coming! A month before coming to Chennai physically, in our minds we had actually started being there. We could see all 3 days and how magnificent they could be!
A 100% Confidant Blitz Move to Decide!
There wasn’t any second thought! We at Victorious Chess Academy (VCA) always knew we need to be present at the Chess Olympiad from the day it was declared.
We came from Pune, just to join VCA members from Kolkata, Chennai & Hyderabad!
Watch Chess Olympiad, Meet GMs, Enjoy Chess Vibes & REPEAT!
Precisely this is what each one of us did for 72 hours of our stay in Chennai! Lodewijk Prins (1913-1999) said “The only thing Chess players have in common is Chess”! We actually experienced this with 3 days of non-stop Chess games, Olympiad, players, arbiters, post-match discussions and of course playing it all night!
At times with no planning, you match the exact numbers
Just to enter Olympiad venue with this beautiful setup –
Tech-M has been a great digital partner for the entire coverage for the Chess Olympiad!
Find Beauty in Repetition (trust you remember Carlsen’s famous tweet here :P)
On day 1 we had first ever design of VCA which is close to everyone from very early days. We got a great feedback with every smiling great Chess coach for all of us – Mr. Praful Zaveri,
Mr. Praful Zaveri’s contribution to chess is unmatched & unparalleled
VCA Team with the man who is behind this wonderful tournament – Mr. Bharat Singh Chauhan
Tamil Food
Like mentioned by Tamil Nadu CM Mr. Stalin, like all chess players from the globe, we too had a great time where we “only” had authentic Tamil food and not anything else!
This is from Junior Kuppanna but we also went to A2B, Geetham & Murugan Idli
Even dustbins had Chess fever! Hats off to the creativity!
While day had Chess at Olympiad venue, we had sleepless nights moving out Knights!
Coconut water down in South India gave us great power to beat the heat & enjoy Chess!
We had a phenomenal vibrant colour on day 2 where we got so much love and appreciation in return which is a perhaps bigger than any pay cheque or bonus! In Kapil Sir’s words after witnessing such team connect and strong bond – “Let the future of Chess be secure in these hands”. This was such a motivation for all of us with priceless happiness.
VCA’s strength is its amazing set of team members aligned with a larger than life mission of spreading this wonderful game of Chess to the entire planet
Journey is often more beautiful than the Destination —
We truly lived this quote and countless time, got out of our tempo traveller, to click pics, many a times by
convincing police that this is just out of passion for the game and all the times we got support from them!
Kudos to Tamil Nadu Govt. for making every corner of the city filled by Chess!
VCA team with former VCA student and 69th GM Harshit Raja
VCA team met FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich
VCA team met Amruta Mokal at Chessbase India counter
Tibet team loved our gesture and gave us this in return, we were touched!
Napier bridge became iconic with its Chess wrapper
Yes, all days were concluded with Chess at our stay location. We had 6 months of multiple tournament, puzzles and of course final candidates to decide the Challenger against Kapil Sir which was Aakshaya from Chennai!
Incidentally, VCA Blitz Championship had same scores of Carlsen- Anand 2013 6.5:3.5
Thoughtful Token of Love. Love is to Give & not to Get!
We were there with a pure intent to welcome players, arbiters, all chess fans from the world to give them a warm welcome to India, its culture and create a bond! We fight over the board but off the board, bit apart from that chess players, panels, fans are lifetime friends as it’s a very special community and chess binds all of us!
We gave Chess bands, Chee keychains to so many GMs, arbiters & volunteers who worked tirelessly!
USA GM, one of the e top players in Chess world, Wesley So loved the key chain and video went viral on Chess.com India instantly. You can watch it on – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3mOdZTh1dc
Chess is not Always Competitive; it can be Beautiful too!
We were so lost in the chess expo which is like a treat for chess lovers. Yes, it was truly amazing which so many great chess personalities present every day! It was about chess boards, pieces, software tools, trainings & souvenirs!
Expo had many shops with lots to buy for chess lovers and one can spend literally hours there without keeping track of time.
Life often surprises you with Sweetest Returns!
Back in 2015, Kapil Sir had taken full responsibility and made sure Late Shailesh Nerlikar participates in World Disabled in Germany. In the chess expo, this was kept by FIDE right at the centre as a great contribution to game of Chess! We could get a smile worth a lifetime from Kapil Sir! Wow, what a moment and a sense of satisfaction.
Truly living with Vision of Chess all – Kapil Sir
Chess till vey end of our Tour
All good things come to an end so how can this be an exception, we met once again at Chennai airport to depart with lifetime memories and lot of things lined up in coming times!
Departing till we all meet again…
On the last day, when we were all done, we reached airport with heavy hears to depart to our homes, but it’s tough, rather impossible to take chess out from chess players! So, we had a good one hour of chess at Chennai airport. As a chess player you never wait for anyone or even for a flight, you see time in hand and choose a time control to start playing chess! That’s what we all did and had a great finish to our Olympiad tour!
Chess at Chennai airport before we take final flight for home
Missing Larger than Life—Chess for All… from VCA!
With relentless efforts over past 2 decades to take VCA where it is today, we all say, a temple of Chess in Pune which we are sure to make it a biggest Chess temple in India where we feel chess, we sense chess, we talk chess, we play chess & yes, we train Chess, Chess for all, from a 6 year kid to 86 year old grandfather!
Kapil Lohana – Person with Golden Heart is all Geared up to Spread Chess to every human on the planer & this is just a beginning!
