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Hyderabad: The auditorium of Devnar School for the Blind in Hyderabad’s Begumpet was busier than usual on Wednesday afternoon, May 6. Over a hundred visually impaired chess players had arrived from across the country for the 13th edition of the Open Chess Tournament for the Blind, organised by the Devnar Foundation for the Blind in association with the All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB).

The players came from across multiple states, drawn by a shared interest in one of the world’s oldest strategy games – one that does not actually require sight to play well.

The chess sets used in blind tournaments are purpose-built. Black pieces have a small protruding dot on top so players can identify them by touch. The board is tactile too, with white squares slightly depressed, black or green squares slightly elevated. Each square has a small hole at its centre to hold the piece in place so it does not shift during play.

Moves are called out aloud, with a letter and number identifying each square so both players stay informed of the position on the board at all times.

‘I can guess what moves my opponent will make’

Babu, 50, has made the trip from Mumbai every year for the past five years. He did not grow up blind, with a genetic condition gradually affecting his sight as he aged. He works as a masseuse at the health club of the Taj Lands End hotel, and chess has been part of his life since childhood.

“I have been interested in chess right from childhood,” he said.

What keeps him engaged is the strategic element. “I like the game because I can guess what moves my opponent is going to take and play accordingly,” he said.

Quick rise through the ranks

Bhuvadhruv, 18, from Ahmedabad only started playing chess in 2025 after watching his friends play. A student of Ahmedabad Blind School, he has since become one of Gujarat’s top-ranked visually challenged chess players. This is his second year at the Devnar tournament, and he said he appreciates the facilities the foundation provides to participants.

He broke down the formats of competitive chess: Classical, which runs over 90 minutes and is his preferred format, Rapid, at 25 minutes or more, Blitz, at five minutes per side, and Bullet, at one minute per side.

‘Chess teaches you patience’

Ganesh Babar, 35, from Pune, was introduced to the game at age nine by his brothers, when he could still see. He began competing at the school level before moving on to district-level tournaments in his mid-teens, encouraged by teachers and peers along the way.

He has never won a tournament but has cleared qualification and selection rounds at several of them. He plays chess as a hobby – much like cricket, which he also enjoys – and has no professional ambitions in the sport.

“Chess teaches you patience,” he said. “Learning many moves can also apply to your life and how to thrive in pressure situations. It is a very interesting game,” he said. This was his first visit to Hyderabad.

The event also Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs Telugu 2025 finale contestant Varunavi, who is also visually impaired, entrall the audience with her singing.

The Devnar Foundation has been running this tournament for 13 years. With participation growing and players returning year after year, it has established itself as one of the more prominent events in the blind chess calendar in India. This edition will run till May 10, where the winners will be announced.