Chess in Goa

Perhaps it is a diet rich in fish that fuels the brain; Goans have developed a penchant for the game that calls for intense exercise of the little grey cells.

Chess is turning out to be Goa’s forte, particularly amongst the young. Ivana Furtado, who turns nine this year, is the reigning queen. Listed in the Limca Book of Records as the Youngest Gold Medalist of any sport in India, this child prodigy won her first international medal at seven.

Winning her first World Title in 2006, she is a FIDE Candidate Master Under-8 and reigning World Under-8 Champ. Furtado has brought international recognition to chess in Goa with her tally of eight gold, two silver and one bronze from various state, national and international tournaments.

Ivana Maria Furtado has the distinction of being the only Indian to win the World Youth Chess Championship twice in a row, the first being in October 2006 at Georgia at age seven and in November 2007 she repeated her win at Antalya, Turkey. Ivana has been designated as Dempo’s Goodwill Ambassador.

Ivana Furtado, Goa’s very own chess prodigy

Competitive chess in Goa started in 1978, with the formation of the Goa State Chess Association. Its most memorable game was in 1984 when, at the National Sub-Junior Chess Championships, Super Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand had his first win. Goa has also hosted the National Junior Under-20 and World Junior Chess Championships in 2002 and in September 2008, the Premier National Chess Championship of India and several other State Championships at the Junior and Senior levels for boys as well as girls.

Current talented players include Bhakti Kulkarni who claimed consecutive wins in the National Junior Chess (Under-15) Girls Championships from 2004 to 2007. Kulkarni is the International Women’s FIDE Master Under-15 and the only Goan besides Ivana to be granted a FIDE norm.

Anurag Mhamal recently won the Commonwealth Chess tournament in Nagpur; Cyrus Pereira, Pranav Zantye and Niraj Saripalli are the other top contenders in various national and international tournaments.

As President of the Goa State Chess Association, Sameer Salgaocar is passionate about chess. Justifiably proud of the achievements of its young participants, particularly Ivana, Sameer is glad that chess has showcased Goa’s intelligence quotient as well, in addition to the fun, sun and feni it is more popular for. “Chess has brought a new dimension to Goa and people are recognising Goans for their intellectual worth too,” he asserts. “Chess in Goa remained a relative anonymity till about three years ago when youngsters like Ivana and Bhakti brought home the world championships crowns.”

Today chess has received its due recognition from all quarters – the corporate sector which is giving it the financial boost, the government which is doing its bit to promote chess and more importantly parents who are now reassured and willing to invest time, money and energy into a sport that is indeed going places,” he adds.

Text: Patricia Ann Alvares