Port Blair, Jan 28: The 1st Chaturanga Smart Girl 2024 Chess Tournament, organised by Andaman Nicobar Chess Association in collaboration with SURPANJALI (a cultural art forum) under the Smart Girl Project, with an aim to encourage and empower girls, began this morning at RGT Public School, Port Blair. This chess tournament is being organised for the first time in the A&N Islands exclusively for girls. Around 130 girl chess players enthusiastically participated in the event.
Smti. Pallavi Sarkar, IAS, (Secretary Education & Sports) A & N Administration graced the opening ceremony as the chief guest and made the ceremonial first move on the top board against Kavya Raj, a rated player to kick start the event in the presence of officials of ANCA & Surpanjali.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest expressed her happiness on seeing such a huge number of girl chess players participating in this chess tournament. She emphasised the necessity of 3Ms for a chess player i.e. Mathematics, Management and Mother (as an embodiment of the exceptional management skills that a child can learn). Seeing the overwhelming response from the girl chess players, she expressed optimism that we will surely see a female chess grandmaster among these participants in the days to come.
Earlier Shri. C. S. Ashok president ANCA, while welcoming the gathering, highlighted the recent achievements and vision of ANCA and advocated Chess-in-School (CiS) programme in the schools of A&N Islands for the benefit of budding school children.
The opening ceremony concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Dr. Shrabani Mallick, a member of Surpanjali (A Cultural Art Forum).