Two players take part in last week’s Chess Tournament for the Blind, held at the Aung San Stadium complex for June 28 to July 4. The competition attracted about 20 blind and visually impaired people.

TWENTY visually impaired people last week took part in Myanmar’s first national Chess Tournament for the Blind, held at the Aung San Stadium complex from June 28 to July 4.

The tournament was jointly organised by the Department of Social Welfare, the Myanmar Chess Federation and the Myanmar Disabled Sports Federation.

“There are 12 blind players in total and another eight who are partially blind,” said U Myo Min Aung, an executive member of the Myanmar Chess Federation.

“Their playing technique is very similar with just a few differences. Blind players are allowed to touch the pieces of their opponent during the game, which is not allowed in ordinary games. And each board has small holes in it; the pieces have nails in the bottom so they can then be attached into the hole.”

The 20 players came from the government-run School for the Blind in Yangon’s Kyeemyindaing township, another School for the Blind in Sagaing and the Myanmar Christian Fellowship of the Blind.

Previously, visually impaired students had only competed in chess tournaments at their respective schools, which have been organised by the Myanmar National Association of the Blind since 2002, said an association spokesperson.

U Lwin Oo, principal at the School for the Blind in Kyeemyindaing, told The Myanmar Times he was delighted to see such a tournament held because there are very few competitive activities suitable for visually impaired people.

“They usually participate in the White Cane Day walk and now they can join the chess tournament too,” U Lwin Oo said.

“Blind people need to be pretty persistent when playing chess. They can’t see the other person’s strategies, whereas ordinary players can work out their next moves well in advance. The completely blind players have to touch all the pieces – their own and their opponent’s.

“If the contestants have partial sight it can also be difficult because the seeing ability of the players varies, so sometimes it can seem unfair.”

U Lwin Oo added that sporting events such as chess helped motivate visually impaired people to learn new activities and had a positive effect on their psychological condition.

“Chess is just about the only sport where blind people can compete with ordinary people,” she said.

The Chess Tournament for the Blind is expected to be held every year and a handful of outstanding players will be chosen to participate in foreign disabled competitions, U Lwin Oo said.