Omar Khayyam: “I would compare the world with a chessboard…”
The International Chess Day is celebrated annually on July 20, the day the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was founded, in 1924, and this year it has been its 55th celebration. Today, according to the most conservative estimates, there are around 700 million regular chess players around the world.
Why this game so attractive? It is simple: combining sport and scientific thinking, chess is one of the most ancient games. Anyone can play it – it breaks down language barriers, differences in age or physical capabilities; both very young kids and the elderly, men and women, can play chess. As for the heat of the passion, chess tournaments are as same as the football stadiums filled with fans during the World Cup.
This ancient game has one and a half thousand years history and is believed to have originated in India, where in its early form in the 4th century was known as Chaturaṅga, which in Sanskrit means four divisions – initially, Chaturaṅga was played by four branches of the army.
Chaturaṅga was taken up by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia in 7th century, where the game came to be known by the name Shatranj within the Arab Caliphate. Then, from the Arab world, it was spread to Europe. Initially, the ancient chess was different from its modern modification : the players used to alternately throw a dice to determine which piece would be on the field.
Chess has been popular and played in Turkmenistan for many centuries. Back in the 10th century, Abū Bakr al-Ṣūlī, whose ancestor was the Turkmen khan from Dehistan, lived in Baghdad, who was a chess champion of proverbial talent. He wrote many scientific works, including books devoted to this ancient game of Shatranj.
... On August 2015, the Specialized Chess and Checkers School designed to teach 600 children the intricacies of chess, checkers and duzzum – the national Turkmen game reminiscent of checkers – has enrolled its first students in Ashgabat.
Children older 6 may be admitted to the school, where three tournament halls for 500 people, 25 classes equipped with any modern computer and office equipment are offered to the boys and girls. Once a week, a TV class for game analysis is held, the most talented young chess players take part in international online tournaments. As part of players’ preparation, special computer chess programs are also used, while for general physical development, there is a table tennis room at the school. Usually little chess players train three times a week, classes available in the morning, afternoon and evening hours.
The Specialized Chess and Checkers School welcomes anyone who wish to learn to play chess . 18 experienced trainers, who hold classes for young chess players, divided into 45 groups, are sure that all children are equally talented. The main thing is to see this talent and support to develop it. Someone is talented in chess, while another one – in checkers or duzzum – but every child has a God-given talent, which, with a skillful mentor and competent approach to classes, will develop into real “adult” skill. Wonderful principle, isn’t it?
The school also has its own, still small, but very interesting museum. Indeed, the educational institution has something to be proud of: here on the portraits of very young FIDE masters, international grandmasters, and even FIDE referees, who participate as judges in the most prestigious international chess tournaments.
The centerpiece of the exposition occupies a photograph of the young Byagul Ezizova, who in 2013 aged 6 became the world chess champion, having won this prestigious title at the World Youth Chess Championship for school students under 17 in the city of Halkidiki, Greece.
The capital’s Specialized Chess and Checkers School regularly holds school competitions, city-level tournaments and sports contests. In May of this year, a videoconference (ссылка: https://orient.tm/shahmatnye-soobshhestva-turkmenistana-i-armenii-nalazhivajut-onlajn-svyazi/) was held between the chess community of Turkmenistan and the Chess Academy of Armenia, where the issues related to online chess teaching, as well as the practice of training teachers and trainers were discussed.
Now the best chess players of Turkmenistan are getting prepared for the chess Olympiad, which due to be held in the near future via video link, as the spread of the coronavirus in the world is still alarming.
Viktor KARDASHOV, Photo by author
