The Chess Houseboat event returns! | So Good News

Chess House 2023

Tournament page.

Aimed at showcasing the state’s natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and traditional cuisine of the land, the event has the potential to attract mainly foreign visitors and is supported by Kerala Tourism, an official arm of the state government.

Tournament logo

The Kerala Tourism logo is a unique representation of the various tourism elements of the state.

This tournament was inspired by the Chess Train tournament in 2013, which covered the Czech Republic and neighboring European countries in different years. The architect of the event, Pavel Matochka, was a participant in the 2020 Chess House event, as well as a simultaneous charity show by Major General David Navara in Prague to support the high-altitude vaccination campaign in Kerala. As one of the participants in the Covid-19 pandemic, the then Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babis, saw himself:

Pavel Matochka with his family Chess House Boat 2020 | Photo: Orient Chess Moves

Chess Houseboat 2023 is hosted by Orient Chess Moves led by Correspondence IM NR Anilkumar, who participated in the 2019 Chess Train and was inspired to create the Chess Houseboat concept:

NR Anil Kumar as Participant of Chess Train 2019 | Pictured: Prague Chess Society

A unique attraction of the event will be the location of the tournament venues: a sailing boat. Emperor of Vembanadu a lakeside jungle resort in the backwaters of the famous Vembanad, within the forest of the Tiger Reserve at Thekkady Island, and a backwater resort among a group of small islands near the large bird sanctuary at Kumarakom, a famous tourist spot in the state.

Vembanadu back bank rowing boat, the venue for the tournament for the first two days | Photo: Orient Chess Moves

Internal Affairs of Vembanadu Emperor | Photo: Orient Chess Moves

‘Waterscapes’ Cottages, An Exotic Backyard Resort in Kumarakom | Photo: Orient Chess Moves

Attracting participants will be a variety of unique resorts where participants will stay during the event. For the first two days, visitors will enjoy the unique ambiance of Abad Turtle Beach Resort on the white sands of Marari Beach, one of the top five hammock beaches in the world:

beautiful white sand Marari Beach | Photo: Orient Chess Moves

Another attractive destination is the Bolgatty Palace on Bolgatty Island, an 18th-century Dutch palace converted into a resort:

Great Bolgatty Palace Resort | Photo: Kerala Tourism Development Corporation

During the rest day, the participants will visit a lakeside jungle lodge within the Periyar Reserve, a tiger reserve known as the home of elephants, sambar deer, barking deer, wild boars and tigers. , leopard and bear – the gate of the lodge is closed every evening for such wild visitors. While in Thekkady, participants travel to the exotic greenery accessible only by boat at the Lake Palace, the old summer palace of the Travancore kings, now a resort.

Aranya Nivas Jungle Lodge | Photo: Kerala Tourism Development Corporation

Lake palace, grandeur turned into hospitality Photo: Orient Chess Moves

During the event, the cultural and artistic heritage of Kerala will be showcased through an exclusive performance in the state’s traditional arts only for the participants. Demonstrations on Kalaripayattu, a thousand-year-old martial art form, and Kerala arts are scheduled for the evening:

Kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art form of Kerala | Photo: Kerala Tourism Development Corporation

One of the attractions of the 2020 event is the delicious spread of Kerala cuisine on the boats immediately after the conclusion of each tournament session, which was praised by the participants. One of the important goals of the event will be to show the culinary flavors of the country:

Lunch on board | Photo: Orient Chess Moves

I will be giving a chess lecture at one of the parties and have been treated to a typical caricature as an announcement poster by Nandan Pillai, one of Kerala’s famous artists, caricaturists and sculptors:

Announcing IM V Saravanan’s lecture on chess during the event. Caricature by artist Nandan Pillai

There will be package fees for the entire event for participants 950 eurosand it will 900 euros discounts are offered for accompanying persons and for several categories of visitors. Fees include all accommodation, meals, airport pick-up and drop-off, travel, tourist tickets and cultural performances. The full itinerary and other information can be found on the official website. Registration of foreign participants is open until November 15, 2022.

Important links

Official site

Chess tournament details

Application form for Chess Houseboat 2023

Contact Information: WhatsApp: +919446230888/+919447090200/+918281263524

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

About the author

Saravanan Venkatachalam is an international master and active chess player in the Indian region and has been writing regularly on chess since the late 1980s. He became a professional chess player in 2012 and has been actively playing, seconding and coaching several Indian players. He reports on chess competitions and occasionally works as a reporter for republican newspapers and news channels. Apart from chess, he is also interested in Tamil and English literature, music and photography.