Unmesh Gujarathi
Mumbai
On behalf of Morphy Chess Academy, Nashik, a residential advanced chess camp was organized under the guidance of Candidate Master and National Gold Medalist, Vinod Bhagwat. The camp took place from December 25 to December 30, 2024, at Shirasgaon, Trimbakeshwar and was designed to provide a holistic environment for players to study advanced chess tactics and strategies.
A total of nine players from Bangalore, Satara, Thane, Mumbai, and Raigarh participated in the camp, including eight internationally rated players. These participants received both technical and psychological training aimed at helping them excel in tournaments.
The camp was organized in a “Gurukul” style, fostering an immersive learning experience where the guru (teacher) and shishya (students) focused on advanced aspects of chess like studying opening principles, schematic thinking, special endgame techniques etc. Players were trained on handling pressure, learning from defeats, and making strong comebacks. Emphasis was also placed on the importance of physical and mental fitness to enhance their overall performance.
Participants and their parents expressed enthusiasm for such initiatives, highlighting the need for regular camps like this to give more practice to chess players.
A special gesture of encouragement was made by Mrs.Meena Acharya, former headmaster of Kothari Girls School, who awarded a total cash prize of ₹10,000 to the players. This generous contribution significantly boosted the morale of the participants.
Alongwith Mr Vinod Bhagwat, Mr Mayur Kasture, AICF Certified Trainer, Senior National Arbiter, Mahesh Shinde, State Arbiter & Aishwaray Bhagwat, Senior National Arbiter also took efforts for successful organisation of this camp.
