The Big Chess Camp reaches Bhadohi District in Uttar Pradesh

by Harsh Kumar - 02/06/2026

A 2-day Big Chess Summer Camp was organized at Rajpoot Dhaba in Bhadohi on 27-28 May 2026. The consistent efforts of Shreejan Learning Hub Foundation have significantly contributed to the growth of chess activities in the district. Bhadohi recently gained attention after its Duolingo Dreamers team represented India at the FIDE World Schools Team Chess Championship 2026 (Asian Continental Stage) in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The camp was jointly organized by Shreejan Learning Hub and Teach Chess India, an initiative of ChessBase India, to introduce more children to chess and strengthen the skills of existing players.

About The Big Chess Summer Camp

The Big Chess Summer Camp is an initiative by ChessBase India that aims to introduce new people to the game of chess while helping existing players become stronger and more skilled. Through this free program, participants receive training that enables them to learn, enjoy, and improve at chess. Earlier this year, the camp was organized in major cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru. Over the past few years, the program has also been conducted in Jabalpur, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Lucknow, and several other cities across India.

A glimpse from the Big Chess Summer Camp 2025 held at Phoenix Marketcity Mall, Mumbai.

For this camp, the trainers from Teach Chess India designed a special curriculum tailored to players of all skill levels. Whether a participant is a beginner or an advanced player, the program offers valuable learning opportunities for everyone. The curriculum is divided into four levels and consists of a total of 45 worksheets. Trainers present at the venue assess each participant's playing strength and recommend an appropriate starting level. Participants are allowed to move on to the next worksheet only after successfully completing the previous one. This ensures a structured and effective learning process.

Chess worksheets arranged in sequence from 1 to 45 at the Mumbai camp.

How did the Big Chess Camp reach Bhadohi?

In January 2026, Shreejan Learning Hub launched a campaign called "Checkmate Her Limits" to raise awareness about women's empowerment through chess. As part of this initiative, the organization introduced many girls in Bhadohi to the game, using chess as a tool to build confidence, develop skills, and encourage greater participation in intellectual pursuits.

In just two months, these children learned the game of chess and began participating in tournaments held in nearby cities. Recognizing their enthusiasm and dedication, the organizers of the FIDE World Schools Team Chess Championship 2026 (Asian Continental Stage) awarded the team a wildcard entry and invited them to compete in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The performance of the Duolingo Dreamers team and the remarkable work being carried out by Shreejan Learning Hub caught the attention of ChessBase India. We decided to bring the Big Chess Summer Camp to Bhadohi to support their continued development in the game.

Duolingo Dreamers Team (L to R): Sunaina, Vanshika, Ankit (Captain), Aradhana and Kajal.

The camp was organized on the 27th and 28th of May at Rajpoot Dhaba, Gopiganj, in Bhadohi. The event was held from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Participants of all ages, as well as parents, were invited to attend this program.

The owner of Rajpoot Dhaba inaugurated The Big Chess Summer Camp

The owner of Rajpoot Dhaba, Mr. Rananjay Singh, inaugurated the program by boosting the children's morale through his speech. Rajpoot Dhaba has provided significant support in making this event a success. They supported this program by providing us with this beautiful hall.

From left: Ankit Yadav, Rananjay Singh, Amit Singh, Harsh Kumar and Priyanka Ved.

'Checkmate Her Limits' is a program through which Shreejan Learning Hub is teaching chess to girls across several villages in Bhadohi. They are using chess as a tool for women's empowerment. 10 mentors associated with this program stepped up as trainers to contribute to the 'Big Chess Summer Camp.' These mentors are currently pursuing their undergraduate studies at local colleges. They are the ideal candidates to provide chess instruction within their respective villages.

From left: Prerna, Jia, Raina, Chandni, Sania, Anshu, Archana, Priya, Ilma, Sama.

A training session was conducted for all the mentors on 26th May. These young women also volunteer their time to teach chess to children in their respective localities free of cost. During this training camp, they were introduced to various teaching methods and taught how to effectively guide and support children in their progress.

Teach Chess India coach Priyanka Ved guiding the mentors of the Checkmate Her Limits initiative.

The instructors of the Checkmate Her Limits program, Prabhat Yadav, Ankit Yadav, and Aman Kumar Gupta, along with Teach Chess India trainers Priyanka Ved and Harsh Kumar, guided all the participants and trainers throughout the camp. Serving as lead coaches, they played a key role in making the program a success.

Head Coaches of the Camp ( From left): Aman, Ankit, Harsh, Priyanka and Prabhat.

Rising Stars of the Day

To encourage and motivate the participants, we announced that a "Rising Star of the Day" would be selected each day of the camp. On the first day, the award was won by Khushi Maurya from Gerai (Gopiganj). Khushi arrived at the camp with no prior knowledge of chess. During the sessions, she not only learned the rules of the game for the first time but also displayed great enthusiasm and interest. She quickly mastered the movement of all the chess pieces and notation. She definitely impressed the trainers with her eagerness to learn and rapid progress!

Khushi Maurya: Rising Star of the Day!

On the second day of the camp, Yash Yadav from Baripur (Koirauna) was named "King of the Day", while Kanak received the title of "Queen of the Day". Kanak had started learning chess only three months ago, yet she demonstrated impressive enthusiasm and commitment throughout the camp. Both Kanak and Yash showed deep interest in the game and actively engaged with the training sessions.

Mr. Santosh Kumar Gupta presented the award to the 'King of the Day', Yash Yadav.

'Queen of the Day', Kanak receiving her award.

Additionally, based on their overall performance in the camp, three participants, Tejas Yadav, Utkarsh Srivastava, and Ayush Singh, received chessboards as a gift.

Ayush Singh receiving his award.

Tejas Yadav receiving his award.

Tejas Yadav’s mother is a teacher. While sharing her experience on stage, she mentioned that her son was addicted to a mobile game called Free Fire about a year ago. Concerned about this habit, she began playing chess with him. Gradually, Tejas moved away from mobile gaming and developed a growing interest in chess. Today, he aspires to become a Grandmaster.

Utkarsh Srivastava receiving his award.

Utkarsh Srivastava is from Varanasi. His maternal uncle shared his experience, mentioning that he is a local chess player himself. Due to a lack of formal training opportunities, he eventually drifted away from the game. He now takes Utkarsh to nearby chess events and hopes that Utkarsh will grow into a strong player in the coming years.

Closing ceremony

Before the camp officially ended, lead coaches Priyanka Ved, Aman Kumar Gupta, and Harsh Kumar played a simul with the players. Aman Kumar Gupta won all 7 of his games. Priyanka Ved secured 6 wins out of 8 games, while Harsh Kumar won 6 out of his 7 games.

At the closing ceremony, Mr. Indrabali Singh, manager of the renowned company OBEETEE Carpets India from Bhadohi, attended the event. He interacted with the players and shared his own experiences with chess. Mr. Rananjay Singh, owner of Rajpoot Dhaba, and Mr. Santosh Kumar Gupta were also present at the closing ceremony. They appreciated the teachers of the "Checkmate Her Limits" program, Mr. Prabhat Yadav, Ankit Yadav, and Aman Kumar Gupta and credited them for the growing chess culture in their district.

Finally, the Teach Chess India trainers, Priyanka Ved and Harsh Kumar, were felicitated with mementos and a customized carpet, a proud representation of Bhadohi’s heritage, as a token of appreciation.