Vishwanathan Anand inaugurates academy to encourage chess in Coimbatore

Vishwanathan Anand hoped that the Academy would become the hub for the game in the region and also help unearth champions.

Viswanathan Anand, Magnus Carlsen, English chess Grandmaster, Chess grandmaster, chess player Anand, sports news

A Chess academy to encourage the game in Coimbatore region and support aspiring players was inaugurated today by former World chess champion Vishwanathan Anand at Kumaraguru College of Technology.

The Dr N Mahalingam Chess Academy academy aims to encourage the game in the region and support aspiring players and to introduce ‘Train the Trainer’ model for development of chess at school level.

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Recalling his ties with Coimbatore and the patronage by industrialist, the late N Mahalingam, Anand said it was in this city that he had got the first international rating, became a Grand Master and also won the Asian Junior Championship.

He hoped that the Academy would become the hub for the game in the region and also help unearth champions.

Anand gave away awards and scholarships to the tune of Rs 25,000 each to three young chess champions of the region.

The Arutchelvar Dr N Mahalingam Award, instituted in honour of the late industrialist, was presented to former national champion Manuel Aaron for his contribution to the development of chess in India.

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In his acceptance speech, Aaron spoke of his relationship with Mahalingam, who contributed immensely to chess.

He also praised the manner in which Mahalingam used to support and motivate chess players.