Karnataka   

His passion hasn’t been lost

— Photo: R. Eswarraj

EXEMPLARY: Badavath Prabhakar playing in the second edition of FIDE-rated All India Open Chess Tournament in Mangalore on Tuesday.

MANGALORE: A mishap while on duty has left Badavath Prabhakar, assistant executive engineer with the Department of Panchayat Raj in Andhra Pradesh, a visually challenged person.

But this 33-year-old B.Tech graduate from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University of Hyderabad has not only defied the misfortune but has gone to pursue his passion for chess. Participating in the second FIDE-rated All India Open Chess tournament here, Mr. Prabhakar has some noteworthy performances to his credit. He uses a uniquely designed chess board on which the black squares jut out of the playing surface compared to the white squares. The black chessmen have a small nail fixed on their top to help him identify them. This resident of Mahabubabad in Warangal district, learnt about the Mangalore tournament while participating in a tournament at Vijayawada. “This FIDE-rated tournament is the first such tournament that I am participating in”, Mr. Prabhakar told The Hindu. Helping him overcome this deficiency is his wife, Vinoda. Mr. Prabhakar said: “I make a note of the pieces in my mind and make the moves after feeling the pawns.”

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