- World Chess Champion and NIIT MindChampion Viswanathan Anand Spearheads
Record Breaking Event at Swarnim Chess Mahotsav 2010, Gujarat
- An endeavor by the Government of Gujarat, Gujarat State Chess
Association and NIIT to popularize Chess amongst school children
Ahmedabad, December 24, 2010: A new world record was
created at Swarnim Chess Mahotsav 2010 Gujarat, with 20,480 players playing
simultaneous Chess at Gujarat University Grounds in Ahmedabad. The earlier
record was of 13,446 players at Mexico City in 2006.
The record breaking event was held in the presence of Mr. Narendra Modi,
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat; World Chess Champion and NIIT MindChampion,
Viswanathan Anand and Mr. Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman, NIIT Limited. Ms. Tarika
Vara, Adjudication Executive, Guinness World Records was also present on the
occasion to verify the new record on behalf of Guinness World Records.
A unique initiative by the Government of Gujarat, Gujarat State Chess
Association and NIIT Limited, the leading Global Talent Development Corporation
and Asia’s largest IT trainer- “Swarnim Chess Mahotsav 2010,
Gujarat”, was announced earlier this year to popularize the game of
Chess in the state. NIIT MindChampions Academy set up Chess Clubs in 1,575
computerized schools of Gujarat to facilitate maximum participation in the mega
Chess event.
World Chess Champion and NIIT MindChampion Viswanathan
Anand remarked, “This is a historic day for Indian Chess,
and I feel proud to be a part of it. This achievement will go a long way in
inspiring young people take up this sport, which has a positive impact on
development of young minds.”
Mr. Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman NIIT Ltd. said,
“The NIIT MindChampions’ Academy is popularizing Chess in schools
and this record breaking event is a great milestone in that
journey.”
The venue layout of the record breaking event was a visual delight. The
Gujarat University Grounds of Ahmedabad has been turned into a giant Chess Board
with 64 alternating black & white squares. The players were segregated
equally within the squares which were either black or white, just as in a Chess
Board. The imposing 29,000 square meters of Chess Board, created through perfect
colour coordination could be viewed even from the air.
Chess Association of Gujarat provided around 1000 Masters and
Grandmasters for the Swarnim Chess Mahotsav 2010 held at Ahmedabad. As a run up
to the grand event, NIIT MindChampions Academy popularized Chess amongst
students by forming Chess clubs in schools within the State of Gujarat, which
made available a pool of Chess Players, who participated in the Swarnim Gujarat
Chess Mahotsav.
About Swarnim Chess Mahotsav 2010, Gujarat
Swarnim
Chess Mahotsav is a part of the ambitious Khel Mahakumbh, launched by the
Government of Gujarat, to popularize Chess in the State. Under the guidance of
World Chess Champion and NIIT MindChampion Viswanathan Anand, the mega event set
a new World Record for the maximum number of simultaneous Chess players in
Ahmedabad, India, on December 24, 2010. The record breaking attempt, jointly
organized by State Government of Gujarat, Gujarat Chess Association & NIIT,
had Chess players coming together to play simultaneous Chess, to break the
current record of Mexico City’s 13,446 simultaneous Chess players.
For more details of the record breaking attempt, please visit
http://playChessgujarat.com/
About NIIT MindChampions' Academy
The NIIT
MindChampions’ Academy (MCA), a not-for-profit initiative has been set up as a
joint initiative by Grand Master Viswanathan Anand and NIIT Limited, leading
Global Talent Development Organisation and Asia’s largest IT Trainer, with the
objective of promoting Chess in schools to enable development of young minds.
Studies have shown that Chess improves concentration and diligence, thus helping
students performs better academically.
Established in 2002, the Academy has fostered over 11,200 Chess clubs
with over 1 Million students as its members, in schools across India.
World Chess Champion and NIIT Mind Champion Viswanathan Anand has
personally traveled to various parts across India - Agartala, Guwahati,
Hyderbad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur, Patna, Raipur, Chennai, Hyderbad, Kolkata,
Pune,Ahmedabad and has visited countries like Africa & China, spreading the
message and motivating the school students to start playing Chess.
NIIT Mind Champions’ Academy conducts the hugely popular Annual Event,
known as Chess Master for school children across India within the NIIT network
of schools where it provides IT education. It is also the first institution in
India to launch a certificate program in Chess under a Central Government
University umbrella- Indira Gandhi National Open University
(IGNOU).
For media queries, please contact:
Prateek
Chatterjee/ Reema Bardhan, NIIT Ltd
Ph: (Cell) +91 9910201085/ +91 9891267470
Email id:
prateek.chatterjee@niit.com/ reema.bardhan@niit.com