NIIT MindChampions Academy - Chess Master 2009, West Zone Finals Held

 

• Priya Soni from Kawardha  and Manan Shah from  Mumbai Adjudged as Winners
• Over 4.5  Lakh  Students Across India Compete for the Coveted Chess Master 2009 Title
• Online Survey Highlights the Positive Impact of Chess on Academics

Raipur, December 18, 2009: The West Zone Finals of NIIT MindChampions Academy (MCA)-Chess Master 2009, were held in Raipur today.

Priya Soni from Government Higher Secondary School, Kawardha and Manan Shah from SVDD School, Mumbai were adjudged as the winners of West Zone Finals of NIIT MindChampions Academy - Chess Master 2009.

NIIT MindChampions Academy is a joint initiative by NIIT, a leading Global Talent Development Corporation and Asia’s largest IT Trainer, and World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand to initiate young minds into the World of Chess.

This year NIIT MindChampions Academy has witnessed participation of over 4.5 lakh students from across the country for Chess Master 2009. There have been 6282 clubs actively playing chess since April 2009 to compete for the Chess Master 2009 title. The aim has been to go green this year and the complete implementation, monitoring, playing has been done electronically under the supervision of faculties from NIIT.

In response to an online survey conducted by MCA this year, over 8000 children have mentioned that Chess has helped them perform better in academics, especially in Science and Mathematics. The game developed their patience and understanding, motivating children to take up Chess before school hours or during the breaks.

The West Zone level contest witnessed widespread participation by nearly 1.10 lakh students from over 1400 Government and Private Schools.

Commenting on the success of NIIT MindChampions Academy, Viswanathan Anand remarked, “It is heartening to note that more and more young children are taking up Chess enthusiastically and mastering the strategies of the game. I am confident that the grit and determination that these young children display at the game will help them excel in academics as well.” 

“I am delighted to see that NIIT MindChampions Academy has touched a huge number of children across the country and initiated them into the game of Chess. Technology has also played a key role in reaching out to children in every corner of the country for introducing them to Chess.”
According to Tarun Govind Mathur, Head- Operations, School Learning Solutions, NIIT Ltd., “Chess is a mind game that improves academic performance and aids in mental development of young children. Over the years the NIIT MindChampions Academy has been popularizing Chess in Schools across India.”

The winners of the West Zone Finals of NIIT MindChampions Academy- Chess Master 2009, Priya Soni and Manan Shah will represent the West Zone at the National Finals. They will also get an opportunity to play Chess with the Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand. The National winner will be felicitated by the World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand at a mega event for National Finals in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on December24,2009.

Launched in 2002 with an objective of initiating students into the world of Chess, NIIT MindChampions Academy has commenced a movement that has now touched more than 8.5 lakh students from over 7000 schools across India. World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand has personally travelled to Agartala, Guwahati, Raipur, Patna, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and other cities across India, spreading the message and motivating the school students to start playing chess. NIIT MindChampions Academy conducts an Annual Chess event, known as Chess Master for these school children across 16 states in the NIIT network.