AT the call of the National Committee for Solidarity with Cuba, a Mumbai district level “Che Guevara Memorial Chess Tournament 2023” was organised at the Adarsha Vidyalaya, Chembur under the aegis of the Mumbai Suburban District Chess Association on June 11, 2023 to commemorate the 95th birth anniversary of Ernesto Che Guevara . About 375 young chess players between the ages of 6-14 registered and participated in six categories – under 7, under 8, under 10, under 11, under 13 and under 15 years of age. The tournament was sponsored by the Mumbai district committees of the CITU, DYFI and SFI. Meticulous arrangements were made at the venue by the Mumbai Suburban District Chess Adhoc Committee anchored by the tournament director, Joy Xavier.

The morning session of the programme was inaugurated by veteran chess player, Aniruddha Sanzgiri who has represented the Maharashtra state in the national championships. Sanzgiri spoke about the contribution of Che to making Cuba a front ranking chess playing nation. In 1962, after taking over as director of the National Bank of Cuba, he and Fidel Castro revived the Capablanca Memorial international chess tournament at Havana as the best paid tournament in the world. In 1962, Che played against the international  champion Miguel Najdorf who won the 1962 Capablanca Memorial Tournament. Najdorf writes that he had also played against Churchill, Khruschev, Shah of Iran, Juan Peron, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara and many other celebrities. He courteously offered draws to all these personalities, and all accepted, except Guevara. Najdorf reportedly said “I had no alternative than to beat him”.

Sanzgiri narrated the assessment of Che by Ludek Pachman in his book “Checkmate in Prague”: “Even in Europe, he would have been a first-rank chess player”.  Pachman writes that Che told him “Sabe (you know) Companero Pachman. I do not care for my cabinet post. Either I would love to play chess as you do, or make revolution in Venezuela.” He stated that Che believed that chess could play a significant role in bringing people together and building a more peaceful world.

Inaugurating the afternoon session of the tournament, international grandmaster, Commonwealth championship winner and Arjun awardee, Pravin Thipsay stated that chess develops not only the IQ of the players but also the EQ. It develops directly the skills of concentration, attention, fighting back from a weaker position, sportsmanship – all qualities of character that are ready  for all situations and at any time.

The tournament first prize winners in each category were Darsh Raut (under 7), Arjun Singh (under 8), Avi Chugh (under 10), Kartikh Vedant (under 11), Arnav Koli (under 13), Ram Parab (under 15).  Each won a prize of Rs 3000.  A second prize of Rs 2000 , two third prizes of Rs 1500 each , and six fourth prizes of Rs 1000 were awarded in each category. Special prizes for girls were also awarded. A total of Rs 100,000 was awarded as prizes, which was raised by the CITU Mumbai district committee.

The organisation of chess tournaments has always served multiple purposes. For Cuba it has been both a means to raise the intellectual level of society as a whole, as also a weapon to puncture the sanctions that it has had to face from 1960 onwards. The American legend Bobby Fischer was prevented from attending the 1965 Capablanca Memorial Tournament in 1965 by the American government. He participated nevertheless through telex, in the days before internet and stood second to Smyslov. The next year he was allowed to visit the international Olympiad 1966 tournament at Havana physically and played a game against Fidel Castro. At one place Wikipedia incorrectly records that Castro was defeated.  In fact, FBI records recently released show that it was Bobby Fischer who was defeated in that game! Clearly, the matter warrants further investigation.

The association of Che with chess is not only at the level of organising tournaments, but at a deeper level of building an alternative education system for the whole of society. Since the Russian revolution in 1917, there has been a close connect between chess and communism, which continues till this day, despite counter-revolutions in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Of the top ten nations in the world today, ranked by the number of Grandmasters and Women Grandmasters, six are former communist countries, and Russia still tops the list. Cuba is not in the top ten, but it has produced 47 grandmasters. The latest Dylan Berdayes is a 24 year old Afro-Cuban who works as a chess coach and trainer. 

Both Lenin and Stalin were avid chess players. Chess was promoted vigorously in all schools in the newly formed Soviet Union and converted into a mass participation sport. Both in the USSR in the 1920’s and in Cuba in 1960, the elimination of illiteracy and the democratisation of education were priorities implemented in mission mode immediately by the new revolutionary governments. Education was redefined not only as a universal right, and also as a weapon of the revolution.

Speaking to students and faculty at the  Central University of Las Villas in 1959 , after being given honorary professorship, Che says “This professor here before you – a son of the people, forged by the people – also wants this very same people to have as a right , the benefits of education. The walls of the educational system must come down. Education should not be a privilege, so the children of those who have money can study. Education should be the daily bread of the people of Cuba.”

“So what must I say about the university’s fundamental duty, its article number one, in this new Cuba? What I must say is that the university should colour itself black and colour itself mulatto – not just as regards students but also professors. It should paint itself the colours of workers and peasants….”

Che Guevara recognised the role that chess can play in developing what are today called HOTS ‘higher order thinking skills’. He writes “Chess is an effective means to educate and train the human intellect”….“It is not just a game. It is a weapon of the revolution”.

With the development of internet, the possibilities of online chess playing and chess education have expanded tremendously and raised the bar of competitive chess. Cuba under sanctions has not been able to develop the internet facilities to the extent necessary and possible, and is at a disadvantage relative to nations which are not facing sanctions. Most children in Cuba cannot afford internet access. The development of a widespread fiber optic infrastructure inexpensively in the public sector with free access to all school children through KFON in Kerala is an experiment that will be of significance to Cuba as well.