Come and Learn Chess for free at the Big Chess Summer Camp 2024 - 13th to 19th May 2024

by Abhyudaya Ram - 07/05/2024

The Phoenix ChessBase India Chess Club in Mumbai is hosting another exciting event! Last year, in 2023, we had two camps: the Big Chess Summer Camp in May, which had over 700 people, and the Big Chess Winter Camp in November, with over 500 participants. Now, in 2024, we're bringing back the joy of learning! With 45 training sheets, 3 levels, trainers, volunteers to help you learn - this promises to be an exciting camp for just about everyone out there. Join us from May 13th to 19th, 4-8 p.m. each day, at Phoenix Marketcity Mall, Mumbai. There's no entry fee or registration needed – just come and enjoy and learn chess with us! This initiative is taken to popularize chess!

The Big Chess Summer Camp - 13th to 19th of May 2024

We love chess so much, that we think just about everyone should have the ability to learn and improve at it. It is with this thought that the concept of Big Chess Camp came into being in May 2023. The idea is to have a space where people come together learn, share knowledge and improve. This time, The Big Chess Summer Camp 2024 promises to be an unforgettable experience for chess enthusiasts of all levels. Whether you're a complete novice, who doesn't know the rules of the game or a seasoned player, this camp offers something for everyone who shares a passion for the game.

Camp Details:

Where: Atrium 5, Phoenix Marketcity Mall, Kurla, Mumbai

When: 13th May - 19th May 2024

Time: 4 pm - 8 pm IST. On Saturday and Sunday we will start at 2 p.m.

Who: Open to individuals of all ages and skill levels

Cost: Absolutely free!

The camp will be held in the Atrium 5 area of the mall. This is where the regular sessions of the club have been happening in the mall since 2 years

What makes this camp special?

If you have visited any of our previous camps, you will see that the atmosphere is filled with positivity and enthusiasm. Everyone has this approach of sharing knowledge. There is no rush. You can learn at your own sweet pace and become a better player. And everyone is welcome here! Even if you have no knowledge about the game, you can come and have a wonderful time. Here are the salient features of the camp:

Sheets:

The training happens with sheets. You pick up a sheet, you find your spot and you solve it. If you have any doubts, our trainers/volunteers will help you.

A little boy on his way to mastering the concept of Fork/Double Attack

Sheets here, sheets there, sheets everywhere!

This time we will be having 3 levels. The first level is all about the basics of chess - How to play chess and a few principles beyond it. The second level is about tactics and certain basic principles! It will help you gain a firm understanding of chess. The third level will be slightly more advanced and will cover a varying subjects from Endgame to positional play and more. We will also have a few separate sheets for rated players, who will be tested in this regard.

Self Paced Learning:

We understand that everyone learns at a different pace. The environment is created in a way that no one is forced to learn. You can do one sheet or you can do several. You can sit for a few minutes or you can sit for all the hours. You can come for all the days or you can come for just one. There is no compulsion!

The idea is that everything should be done with Love! There is no force used here!

Practice Games:

There are chess boards placed on each of the tables. So whenever you get tired of solving sheets, you can invite someone to a game of chess! This is a perfect way to put to practice what you are learning. After all chess is a game! You have to enjoy playing it.

Battle of generations!

Well established trainers:

There are three head trainers of the camp - all experienced and regular trainers. They not only will be present on all the days of the camp, but also prepare the material of the camp with great care ensuring the best learning experience for all those who will attend the camp.

The three head trainers are (from left to right): Nithin Chandan, Priyanka Ved and Shashank Mokashi

IM Sagar Shah will also help in the finetuning of the material of the sheets and will be present on some of the days of the camp.

Helpful Volunteers

One of the core elements of the Big Chess Camps are the volunteers. They come with an open heart to share and teach whatever they know to the best of their abilities. This is why you will see that any of your queries will be approach with a lot of care and attention. We have a link at the end of the article if you would like to become a volunteer at the camp and help others improve.

This little boy did incredibly well in one of our first camps and finished the sheets in a few days and so for the remaining days he became a volunteer and helped others in their process of learning!

We have had wonderful volunteers like Harsh Kumar (left) and Rakshit Singh (right) who have travelled from far away places (Delhi and Bangalore) to help us in our camps!

Taking the help of ChessPa

There is no age limit for the participants in the Big Chess Winter Camp. While there will be many adults, there are also many children who visit as well. Our plan is to introduce sheets from the ChessPa Activity books that will help young kids learn chess in a fun and engaging way! This material can be recommended for kids from the age of 3 years!

With the help of ChessPa, the journey into the chess world for young players will be even more enjoyable!

This little one surely had a nice time colouring and circling the different pieces!

Chess introduced in the form of animated characters and cartoons! How fun is that!

For little kids this will be an ideal environment to kickstart their chess journey!

Playing area

The fantastic air-conditioned atrium 5 area provides the perfect environment for people to learn and improve. The mall has a massive food court and also all the amenities to make sure that you have a good time. All you have to do is come and give your best. There is no other requirement! Everything else is provided for.

We have often seen that parents come to drop their kids to the camp and then they themselves sit down and begin learning!

The sheer joy of playing chess is reflected in this image!

Certificate and tournament

At the end of the camp, you will receive a certificate from ChessBase India, indicating that you have successfully completed the camp. This will only be given to those who have completed all the sheets! All those who get a certificate for completion of all the sheets will also get a chance to participate in the next ChessBase India monthly tournament at the Phoenix Marketcity mall.

FI Praful Zaveri was present at the closing ceremony of the Big Chess Summer Camp 2023 to give certificates to the players and the volunteers!

Want to be a volunteer?

One of the biggest reasons why the previous editions of the Big Chess Camps were so successful was due to the support of the volunteers. Volunteers not only help the students with the sheets but also play a key role in a lot of the operations for eg. registration of the players, assisting the coaches, problem-solving, and helping out with many other activities! Volunteers who do a positive job, become a part of the Teach Chess India Mission and will help to spread the sport to more people.

Fill in the form to volunteer at the camp

The Camp would not be possible at all without the support from Phoenix Marketcity, Mumbai. A huge thanks to them for providing the Atrium 5 space for chess club sessions, tournaments, camps, simuls, and a lot more!

Support Indian chess

No entry fee is needed for participating in the chess camp! However, if you had fun learning and would like to support our initiatives then please do consider donating to our HelpChess Foundation. All the money contributed goes towards the growth of Indian chess players!

The head coordinator for the summer camp who will ensure that all the elements are perfectly in place for you to have a good experience - Abhyudaya Ram

What's next?

Very shortly we will be announcing the Big Chess Inter School Tournament 2024 which will be held on the 24th, 25th and 26th of May 2024 which will have under-6,8,10,12,14 and open (up to 10th grade) age categories. We will also have a very famous chess personality joining us at the event. But more of that in another article! :)

Videos of the Previous Big Chess Camps

The Big Chess Summer Camp 2023 - how it looks!

The Big Chess Winter Camp 2023 - how it looks!

Big Chess Summer Camp 2023 Playlist

Big Chess Winter Camp 2023 Playlist

Articles of the Previous Big Chess Camps

Big Chess Summer Camp celebrates the beauty of chess

More than 700 people learn chess at the Big Chess Summer Camp 2023

Photos:

Photos of the Big Chess Summer Camp 2023

Photos of the Big Chess Winter Camp 2023