For Lexington chess expert Anil Ahuja, chess is more than a game. It’s a lifelong passion that he hopes to share with more people in town. On Monday, Oct. 19, Ahuja hosted a simultaneous chess match at Cary Library, challenging seven children to play against him at the same time.
In a simultaneous chess match, one experienced player competes against several opponents at once, moving from board to board. The format requires the lone player to keep track of multiple games, think ahead, and compete strategically.
“You’ve got to ask yourself: What is my opponent thinking? What am I thinking? Do I play offense? Defense? What kind of game do I want to play? Aggressive? Passive?” Ahuja said.
Over the course of about 70 minutes, Ahuja won six games and lost one.
“I made a blunder, and the kid figured out he could checkmate me. That’s fair,” Ahuja said. “Other than that one loss, it went well. The kids had a good time.”
The simultaneous chess event at Cary Library was part of Ahuja’s efforts to encourage more people in Lexington to play chess. During an Indian Independence Day celebration at Hastings Park on Aug. 16, he set up six chessboards inviting community members to play.
“I saw a father playing at the chessboard with his daughter,” Ahuja said. “That was the first time they had played in 20 years. Sometimes, if something is available to you, you’re like, you know what, let’s do this. Let’s have some fun.”
Ahuja also hosts frequent chess matches at his home, where he has played as many as 12 children simultaneously.
“I encourage people to play against different people so they get exposed to different styles, different openings, and different variations of chess,” Ahuja said.
Ahuja’s own passion for chess began when he was young. He became fascinated with the game by watching his older brother.
“I was fascinated with how the pieces move,” Ahuja said. “I pestered my brother until he taught me, and I became really good at it.”
His interest grew into a competitive career. Ahuja represented Jai Hind College in Mumbai at chess competitions for five consecutive years and captained its team in his final year. He also trained under grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, a seven-time Indian national champion.
“I could play chess all day, though my wife would probably divorce me,” Ahuja joked.
Ahuja believes chess teaches valuable skills like critical thinking, strategic planning, problem-solving, patience, emotional resilience, and focus.
“These are skills that extend far beyond the chessboard,” Ahuja said.
Ahuja hopes to organize simultaneous chess matches at Cary Library quarterly to give children in Lexington more opportunities to play and learn from different opponents, and to share his passion for the game.