chess

The notion of a chess club I developed as a teenager was commonsense and simple- minded: a fairly quiet room with walls, windows and a ceiling. But belying that image is the informal street hangout that has developed under the Galihari overpass in Kolkata. The site has developed into a formal chess club with 13 laminated boards and 26 stools, with a formal opening at 3 p. m. each day. The noise and pollution that reign do not seem to detract appreciably from the loyalty of the myriad social types that gather each day: ranging from government officials to street urchins. The chess flyover gained in popularity with the ascension of Viswanathan Anand to the world championship in 2016 and his twice being named Sportsman of the Year. Is this the wave of the future? Typical of the flyover’s members is Biswajit Sahs, “We are chess players and love the game.” With the increasing spread of chess worldwide and possible wordwide increase in the expense of real estate, it might become pervasive.