Chess and visual impairment / By Mr. Nicola Nigro

Chess as a representation of life itself, has the ability to make its athletes manage to overcome difficulties on the board, opening a safe path to personal improvement.

It is an inclusive sport, which welcomes people with any disability. And it is the case that in the last decades, the progression of the visually impaired group in the absolute international ranking has been very rapid, which is why since 1992, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has given them recognition at their level preparation, with the inclusion in the Chess Olympiad

An anecdote tells us about the times of King Fernando El Catolico who played chess with his confessor, Abbe Roldan Bielsa; When the latter lost his sight, the king gave him a marble board with adaptations in the squares and with the black pieces differentiated with a bow.

In this way, the first adaptation to a chess board for athletes with visual disabilities would be born, which with the passage of time would become the adapted board that has dark squares slightly higher than light ones (1 to 2 millimeters), of so that they can be differentiated by touching them.

Likewise, the dark pieces have protuberances on their upper part that distinguish them from the light ones.

A hole in the center of the 64 squares in which the pieces are inserted, which have a small stem at the top by means of which the pieces are attached to the box. This in order that the player's hands can touch them without knocking them down or moving them.

• Your usual writing supplies (chart, braille paper, and stylus)
• Portable Braille Typewriters
• Recorders
• An abacus to keep track of the number of moves or
• Lean on an assistant who takes note, announces and moves the moves of the clock if necessary.

Chess always brings benefits to those who play it, and athletes with visual impairments are no exception. In the case of blind and partially sighted children, there are at least three factors that reinforce the advantages of adopting this game: the capacity for socialization, the real possibility of catching up with and even surpassing the sighted and the opportunity for intellectual improvement.

By competing on equal terms with sighted people, the player with this disability forgets the idea of ​​being disabled, giving a boost to the self-esteem of these athletes.

In front of the board, the visually impaired person faces a competition on equal terms. The study of chess in visually impaired people focuses on decision-making and development of critical thinking.

The alternatives to start chess for the visually impaired, go through the use of tools that facilitate their understanding, chess workshops with adapted material, selected audios, use of touch with boards, use of a blackboard or large pieces to take the first steps in its recognition.

Chess has been adapted to the incorporation of visually impaired people, but the steps taken just mark the beginning of the first steps on the endless ladder of improvement, in which overcoming obstacles will always be a challenge.

If you want to read more Chess articles, or develop yourself in this discipline, you can follow the social networks of the "Chess Academy" Mate in 1 ", which consists of a professionalized staff to help you learn about this exciting discipline.