Ambiguity casts a shadow on the ambition to win. This happens more often than not in a game of chess. A game on a regular chess board may end up in draw, but one is sure to emerge victorious in the case of ‘Giraffe Chess’.
Born in Proddatur of Kadapa district, International Giraffe Chess Federation (IGCF) has come a long way in terms of acceptability and prominence. The new form of game owes its existence to the siblings N. Saikiran Reddy and N. Bhagyasri, who invented it way back in 2012. As high school students, they enthusiastically played chess, but most games ended in a stalemate when a player’s king faces threat. The duo decided to add four more squares, two on either side, to take the total number to 68, which gives a decisive end to the game.
“India gave chess to the world and now we are again giving a better version”, quips Bhagyasri, who is studying M.A. (English) in Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, while her brother Saikiran Reddy is currently pursuing Bachelor’s course in Business Administration at Bengaluru. While most games like cricket or football have a decisive end, draw is common in chess. “A long-winding game with no hint of victory not only saps the morale of players, but also causes disinterest in spectators. Giraffe chess overcomes these issues”, Saikiran remarked. “This is a step above tie. Moreover, a conclusive result will be out in five minutes in our game”, Ms. Bhagyasri explained.
In a bid to encourage his children in their new domain, their father N. Gangadhar Reddy got IGCF registered in 2018 to popularise the game. After 102 tournaments at Proddatur town level, the duo conducted 76 experimental tournaments in Chennai. Buoyed by the response, they organised Kadapa district league in the form of a twelve-day event. “We have received acceptance from players of Afghanistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Nepal, Mozambique and The Philippines when we conduct the first World Cup event”, says Saikumar Reddy.
The siblings have also made the game available on Google Playstore, which any Android phone user can download and play with the computer. With ambitious plans of holding the first World Cup, the duo is waiting for the COVID-19 situation to end.