It goes without saying that India is a hotbed for chess. The Goa Chess Association demonstrates this and is a perfect example of what a chess club should be.
The Goa Chess Association at a Glance
- A rich history dating back to the 1970s.
- A charitable organization
- Set the Indian record in 2019 for hosting the most Grandmasters in 1 tournament.
- In 2019 set the record for max norms in one event.
- The current president of the association is Nilesh Cabral.
- Located at F/4, Fourth floor, Chase International Behind Hotel La Paz, Vasco da Gama, Goa 403802, India.
- The club can be contacted by phone at +91 94230 56199.
The Goa Chess Association offers friendly games, league play, tournaments, coaching, and a library full of resources about the game.
History of the Goa Chess Association
The history of the Goa Chess Association dates back to 1973 with the All Goa Daman & Diu Chess Association. This chess association was created under the presidency of P. K. Dias,however, it soon folded and it wasn’t until 1977 that a group of chess enthusiasts decided to form a chess association again. They formed the Vasco Chess Association and they went to the State Council to revive the State Body, this time under the presidency of Dr. R. V. Deo. The Goa Chess Association has been functioning since then and today it works under the presidency of Nilesh Cabral.
The Goa Chess Association is a charitable organization as mentioned and relies on the hard work and expertise of its volunteers. A perfect example of this is Kishor Bandekar, who has served as Secretary and Treasurer in the association and worked tirelessly for over 10 years. He was also a driving force behind putting onGrandmaster tournaments, which is no small feat.
Moreover, Nilesh Cabral is an Indian politician who serves as the Cabinet Minister in the Goa government. He’s a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and represents the Curchorem constituency in the Goa Legislative Assembly. He holds the portfolios of Non-Conventional Energy, Power, Law & Judiciary, and Legislative Affairs. He has been the president of the Goa Chess Association since June 2017.
The first move by the Hon. Power Minister of Goa and President of Goa Chess Association (GCA) Shri. Nilesh Cabral.
Chess Tournaments Hosted by the Goa Chess Association
Since it was founded, the Goa Chess Association has regularly hosted chess tournaments in all categories of events as per the All India Chess Federation. The Goa Chess Association also has a chess team that competes at the state and national levels.
The All India Chess Federation is relevant to mention because they’re the central administrative body of chess for the country. The AICF was founded back in 1951 and it’s affiliated with FIDE, which is the international chess organization. The FIDE connects all the chess federations around the world and is the governing body of the international chess competition. The AICF has produced a fair share of champions, including Viswanathan Anand, Nihal Sarin, Pentala Harikrishna, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, and others.
The Goa Chess Association has hosted many national level tournaments, such as the National Sub – Junior, the National Junior in 1984 and 2011, the A. N. Naik Memorial FIDE rated Open Chess Tournament, the World Junior Chess Championship, the Hirabai Salgaoncar FIDE Rating, and the GVM FIDE Rating National Juniors.
The Goa Chess Association has also successfully conducted two online blitz chess tournaments, both at national and state levels.The response has been super positive and they’re very happy to be able to continue.
The Goa Chess Association is a great place for chess players to improve their game, learn, practice, participate in many different tournaments, and connect with other players in the area.
