By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Concerned over the dwindling number of participants in inter-school chess tournaments in recent years, the Capablanca Chess School (CCS) has come up with an innovative concept to popularise the game among students of the city schools.

The project, in association with The New Indian Express, titled ‘Super Genius’ intends to create chess clubs at schools in the district and is being implemented at Pangode Kendriya Vidyalaya, Christ Nagar International School, and Holy Angels’ CBSE School in its first phase.

Super Genius chess clubs at each school will feature 30 students - five each in U-7, U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15 and U-17 age categories - who are selected after conducting tournaments in the respective schools.

“Attendances were as low as 100-150 at inter-school and inter-district tournaments in recent times. So, there was a need to introduce something like this in our schools to create a chess culture,” said CCS managing partner Vijin Babu S.

As many as 271 students participated in the tournament held at KV while 66 participated at the Holy Angels from which 26 were picked for the club. 120 students have registered at Christ Nagar where the event will be conducted this week.

“It is important that we have a good network in schools. And this project will help us to achieve that objective,” said Vijin. A club coordinator will be picked from the students’ group.

“When chess tournaments take place now, we will have the opportunity to inform the Super Genius Chess Clubs through these coordinators via physical education teachers,” he added.

Apart from intimations to students regarding chess tournaments taking place in the district, the students will also undergo an orientation camp which will help them get to know chess better.

“We will conduct a two-day orientation course in the beginning which will give these kids the knowledge of chess at the initial level. We also plan to conduct week-long camps during vacations,” said Vijin. “The response has been excellent so far from school principals, physical training teachers, and students,” said Vijin. CCS plans to expand the programme to at least 50 schools in the district by September in the next academic year.

“We have approached the Central Government, state government and private schools in the district who are open to the idea. We are also planning to conduct an inter-school district championship in October which will feature close to 1,500 students,” said Vijin.