Gujarat organizes ‘Swarnim Chess Mahotsav’ along with World Chess
Champion & NIIT MindChampion Viswanathan Anand
- An endeavor by the Government of Gujarat, Gujarat State Chess
Association and NIIT to popularize Chess amongst school children
Ahmedabad, December 17, 2010: Swarnim Chess Mahotsav 2010
Gujarat, is set to create a new world record with 20,000 players playing
simultaneous chess at Gujarat University Grounds in Ahmedabad, on December 24th
2010. The record breaking event will be 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.
The current record is of 13,446 players at Mexico City, in 2006.
A unique initiative by the Government of Gujarat, Gujarat State Chess
Association and NIIT Limited, 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.
Speaking on the significance of Swarnim Chess Mahotsav 2010, Mr.
Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, remarked during its
launch earlier this year that, it was his dream to make Chess a popular game in
Gujarat. "Chess can unleash the spirit of sportsmanship in people and
make life a festival. Combining education with sports would lead to success,"
he said.
World Chess Champion and NIIT MindChampion Viswanathan Anand
remarked, “I am very excited about this event that is set to take
the game of chess to new heights by scripting a new world record. I am sure this
unique endeavour will be a very inspiring milestone for Chess players in Gujarat
and across India.”
Mr. Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman NIIT Ltd. said, “20,000
participants, playing Chess simultaneously will be a new world
record.”
The venue layout of the record breaking event promises to be a visual
spectacle. The Gujarat University Grounds of Ahmedabad will be turned into a
giant Chess Board with 64 alternating black & white squares. The players
will be segregated equally within the squares which will either be black or
white, just as in a Chess Board. The imposing 29,000 square meters of Chess
Board, created through perfect colour coordination can be viewed even from the
air.
Chess Association of Gujarat will provide around 1000 Masters and
Grandmasters for the Swarnim Chess Mahotsav 2010 to be held at Ahmedabad. As a
run up to the grand event, NIIT MindChampions' Academy will popularize Chess
amongst students by forming Chess clubs in schools within the State of Gujarat,
which will make available a pool of Chess Players, for participating 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
attempts to 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, will endeavour to get 20,000 players to come 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 (MCA)
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 900,000 students as its members, in schools across India.
MCA will cross the cumulative mark of 1 Million students as its member, by the
end of December 2010.
World Chess Champion and NIIT MindChampion 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 MindChampions’ 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).