Nakul Shivani/ New Delhi

It is 10 am on a sunny winter day in Jammu. Soham Kamotra looks out of the window to soak in the fine weather before settling down to master his moves on a board of Chess. With a book in hand that details strategic moves, he shuts himself from the world to practice moving the pawns and the Knights and Bishops in an effort to master the process that will one day help him scale grand heights in the one of the oldest of sport in the world.

Soham Kamotra, the Under-18 Commonwealth champion, is not alone juggling his brain on this quiet sport in Jammu and Kashmir. He is one among the thousands of youngsters who have taken a liking for Chess “When I started there were very few players here, but today I see the game has become very popular with many people aspiring to become chess players,” he says.

The six-time state level champion, started playing the game when he was nine years old, practicing with his elder brother and father. “The intensity of the game kicked a passion in me. I loved thinking hard before playing the right moves. It requires you to master a thorough process”, he says talking about his initial inspiration that helped him take this game seriously.

Soham, Commonwealth U-18 champion

Gradually, success came, first at the state level, then at the national and international level. In 2022, he won a gold medal in the Commonwealth Championship in the Under-18 age group, and a silver medal at the Asian level in the same category.

“With success comes the natural feeling of being a torchbearer,” Soham says as he elaborates on the increasing interest in Chess in Jammu and Kashmir. His success not only brought him personal laurels but he also felt he was inspiring his peers to take up this sport. “When my friends tell me I am the best player here and that they also like to play gives me a good feeling”.

Vivek Bharti who coached Soham in his initial years as a chess player talks about the rising popularity of the game in Jammu and Kashmir. “Earlier I had only Soham and Meenal as my two students. After they started showing results, other parents approached me to train their children,”he says.

Vivek Bharti runs Chess academies in Jammu

The former India player runs an academy in Jammu and teaches more than a dozen students aspiring to become Grandmasters and International Masters.

The Union Territory today has around eleven Chess centres with close to 300 registered players and around 10,000 non-registered players. “Slowly youngsters are getting inclined towards this sport here”, says Atul Kumar Gupta the President of the Jammu and Kashmir Chess Association. “Earlier not many played here, but gradually its popularity is rising. I see a Chess revolution in the Union Territory in the next two to three years”, he adds.

The local association has proactively made efforts to popularize Chess. Jammu and Srinagar host national level tournaments regularly. “With top class chess players coming here and playing, the local players get the right exposure and that has played a key role in popularizing the sport here,” says Vivek.

In order to popularize the game further, the JK Chess Association regularly organizes Chess training programmes including in remote areas of the UT. “We go to as far as Tanghdar with the support of the Indian army. Regular tournaments are organized and today ninety percent of the districts here have people playing this sport seriously”, says Atul Kumar Gupta.

JK Chess Association regularly organises tournaments to popularise the game

Taking the sport far and wide, has begun to show results. Apart from Soham who has clearly established a name for himself at the Asian and Commonwealth level, Meenal Gupta and Arushi Kotwal are the other success stories to emerge from Jammu and Kashmir.

While Meenal Gupta won the gold medal in the under-18 age category in the girls section in the Commonwealth Championship, Arushi Kotwal recently won the Asian Schools Championship.

The reason for the growing popularity Chess in Jammu and Kashmir is an increasing awareness among parents about the skill development it helps in.

“Chess is different. The intensity gives you a rush. It improves you as a person, builds a unique character in you,” says Soham. Moreover, as this 19-year-old aspiring lawyer adds, “the very reason that this sport forces you to strategize, is a great asset in life.”

Many parents in J&K are eager to send their children to learn Chess

“Parents should realise the contribution this serious sport can make towards the mental growth of their child,” adds Vivek.

After a couple of hours of playing on the board, Soham shifts to the computer to take some online classes. “The competition is closing in. With the growing popularity here in JK, I cannot afford to be complacent”, he says as he now dreams of being the first boy from the Union Territory to become a Grand Master and then an International Master.

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“How wonderful that will be,” he says before shutting himself up again in a room to strategize his next move. After all, there is the National Rapid and Blitz championship scheduled to be held in Jammu.