How it all Started!

From ages, in Calcutta (or Kolkata as it is popularly known today) or all over the world, Football and Cricket have been the two most widely watched and followed sports. Some are blind supporters of Brazil and say Pele is uncomparable while others are of Argentina who say that MaraDona was God-gifted ; some tell Sachin Tendulkar was the All - Time God while others argue. Of course, there are other games like Table Tennis, Volleyball, Handball, Golf, Ice Hockey, Skeeing and many more! However, I, being a very ordinary boy is superbly passionate about the game of — CHESS. Chess is a braingame and unlike many renowned chess players, I did not start learning chess from a very young age. In fact, to be very honest, I was completely unaware of this game. 

One day, while reading in the 6th standard of my school of SPHS (South Point High School), we , the students were asked to choose a co-curricular activity i.e. some kind of an engagement besides studies. There were quite a few options like Dance, Classical Music, Karate, Tabla, Guitar Photography and Chess. After getting a bit late to fill up that form, my mother rebuked and told me "Haven't you fill up that form yet"? After seeing my facial expressions, she obviously did not require any answer. Now, I sat with my parents thinking very hardly which option to choose. This is because, I knew none of those and probably never heard of them earlier too! Jokes apart, keeping in mind just the process of elimination, I started chalking out which one to choose. (You readers don't assume that I knew them all). Lastly, after getting all of the other options cancelled once and for all, my parents decided that I should opt for Chess. Now, at that time, Chess, Dance, Classical Music , Tabla — none of them had a difference to me as I knew none of them. 

Thereafter, I went to school and my first chess Class. I sat down behind a boy and got introduced to our Chess Sir, Rajendra Singh. He was a professional chess player at that time with an exceptional rating of 2200. He tried to explain all the basic things of chess as perfectly as he could, but my genious brain could not absorb all his teachings.. Now this scenario continued for about a month and suddenly our Sir took a written exam. I was suddenly dropped into a sea. I gave the exam but soon after realised that I had performed very poorly. 

After such a horrible performance, my parents decided to admit me in a chess club so that I could at least get an average marks. After all my mother's frantic efforts to search for a decent Chess Club, she found CCF or City Chess Forum in Baghajatin. My father routinely used to take me to the Club so that I could learn chess. Gradually, I started learning chess and due to all of my coaches like Tapas Sir, Chandranshu Sir, Deep sir Aniruddha Sir, Niladri Sir I started to develop a keen interest in this game. I started to spend my spare time at home watching videos of this game and believe me or not, the more I watched the more I got engulfed in this game. I started to realise how interesting this game is! It was not merely just placing all the places on the 64 squares but a highly strategic game which requires deep positional understanding. Then one of my coaches realised that I was improving at a rapid rate and suggested me to particupate in torunaments. My parents felt happy and enrolled my name in my first chess tournament named "Tata Steel". This was a highly prestigious tournament which was held in the historical National Library. I faced many players - some were really strong while others were average. I got very easily defeated by the strong players but managed to win and draw some with the average players. However, after losing the last round and the opportunity to get a prize, I got demoralised and cried a lot. I felt very bad thinking how I was thrown out from the top rankings. My coaches praised me and told me that I had a fairly decent performance and I will get a FIDE rating soon. That fide rating has to be increased to 2500 in order to become a Grandmaster.. 

After few years sometime around 2022 and 2023:- 

In the years of 2022 and 2023, I gained some rating and imcreased it by a chink. I also tried to compare this sport with the other ones. And I found some really exciting facts about chess which were absolutely exclusive. Let me share those with ya'll. In sports like football if a team missed any goal, then they can again try it within the stipulated time and still win the game. But here in chess, even an inaccuracy turns out to be a fatal mistake which ultimately results in losing the game. This game requires immense concentration - Like every move you play, will have some consequences — it can be good and at the same time it may be bad. Predicting the consequence and understanding opponents plans along with the development of own's plan labells a player as "Strong". In chess, an evergreen quote is that "When you find a good move, try to look for a better one". Those who play chess can realise the vitality of this quote in their each move. 

 Now, in the year of 2024, I have made some new goals which are entirely concerned with increasing my rating higher and higher untli I acquire the required criterions for becoming a Grandmaster. Hope all goes good in the forthcoming days! 

The end