Gujarat the first and only state government in India to start chess programs in Schools

Students in Gujarat would be offered chess coaching to boost their thinking skills under an idea being pushed from within State Government. This has been announced in the last week by Gujarat State Chess Association president and Home Minister Amit Shah. Gujarat is the the first and only state government in India to start chess programs in schools.

In an attempt to promote chess in schools, the Gujarat government will conduct training programmes for teachers who would help spread the game in their schools. Announcing the programme, Gujarat State Chess Association president and Home Minister Amit Shah said: "The programme of today may be a small affair but our initiative to bring home chess to school children is a giant step."

As part of the programme, a week-long training of 1,500 school teachers began Monday at the Rifle Club here. The first batch comprising 200 school teachers will be trained for a week for five hours followed by the second batch. The training will proceed until the end of July, said Shah, also the president of Gujarat State Chess Association.

"We have undertaken to provide a platform for children to showcase their talents at the national and international level in the future," Shah said. The Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank is sponsoring the training programme. "What is notable today is that for the first the state government is directly involved in encouraging the game of chess," said the bank chairman Ajaybhai Patel.