Meet the 'Deo' who donated books to the Temple of Chess

How did the Temple of Chess start?

During the lockdown, a lot of people started playing chess which marked a sudden boom in the game. In response to this growing interest, the Chess Club at the Phoenix Marketcity mall came into the picture where all the chess players would unite and play together. We witnessed a huge response from chess enthusiasts right from day one. As this club operates every Saturday from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m., it felt like there was a need for a place that would be open every day for more time. The plan was to have a free space dedicated entirely to chess lovers to gather, play, or watch any tournament together. A few months ago, Mr. Deodatta Modak reached out to Amruta to talk about his wish to donate his books. This was the boost to move forward with the concept. After months of hard work in finding a place and organizing everything together, the Temple of Chess was launched on the 15th of August 2024. It’s a spiritual place where all the chess players who worship chess can meet together in peace and do what they love doing the best - play and study chess.

When I first heard about Mr. Deodatta Modak's donation, I was both intrigued and impressed. I couldn’t believe that someone had thousands of chess books. I thought he must be a serious chess player. He must have played in numerous tournaments and won many of them. My curiosity grew and I was eager to meet him. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to do just that and learn about his journey and the story behind his incredible contribution. This is how the conversation went: 

Rasika Ratnaparkhi (RR): Let’s start from the beginning, when did you start developing an interest in chess?

Deodatta Modak (DM): When I was around 13-14, my father introduced me to chess. Before that, I was very interested in cricket. But as my teenage years passed, my interest in cricket faded. It nearly disappeared. And I started developing an interest in chess at the age of 17. Then I realized that chess is a very difficult game. It is very easy to learn the rules of chess in one hour, but it is very difficult to play good chess. Very few can achieve that level. It requires a special talent and those who have it can play good chess. This is my personal opinion.

RR: How did you collect so many books? Because the number of books you donated to us is huge!

DM: I don’t even remember the exact number. My father’s financial condition was very good because of which I could afford foreign books, even when I was not employed. Later when I got the job, I became financially independent to support my interest in chess. I even learned Russian because some books like 64 and Shakhmaty V SSSR were published in Russian only.

RR: When did you decide to donate these books?

DM: In February 1985, I lost vision in one eye, and in December 2019, I lost vision in the other eye. So, for the past 4-5 years, I have been listening to chess content. Even though I lost my vision, fortunately, I don’t have any other health issues. That’s when I thought of donating these books. My wife knew how much I valued these books. So, she kept them in good condition and maintained them properly. She used to clean and store it properly every year. Credit goes to her that the books are in good condition.

RR: When did you actually start collecting these books? Did you subscribe to any of the magazines?

DM: I subscribed to the Indian Magazine ‘Chess Mate’ from the very start. I have also subscribed to the Russian books 64 and Shakhmaty V SSSR. I had all the issues of ‘Chess mate’ from the start to the present. I have so many issues with Inside Chess magazine. Now I have donated all of them. I have some rare books. Especially very few Indians have them. Now the people who have a genuine interest in chess will benefit from it. 

RR: How do you know Amruta and Prathamesh (Amruta’s brother) Mokal?

DM: My wife’s real sister and Amruta-Prathamesh’s parents used to live in the same premises. So, I have known them for nearly 35 years. Both of them have been interested in chess since their childhood. I got to know about their interest from my wife’s sister. That’s how we connected and bonded well.

RR: Keeping these books must have required a lot of space. So, where did you store these many books?

DM: I had two big cupboards in my house where I stored all the books. I donated the chess books to ChessBase India, but the rest of the books are donated to a Library in Nashik. I gave some books to my wife’s friends. I did this so that other people can also read them.

RR: Many people have approached you for the books but you did not give them. Why is that?

DM: Because if I had given any books to individuals, others might have complained. They would have expected me to give them the books. That would not have been of much use. Because of the Temple of Chess, many chess lovers in Mumbai can benefit from them. 

Temple of Chess is the most appropriate and permanent use of these books

RR: When did you decide that you would donate these books to ChessBase India? And why did you believe that this would be the best use of it?

DM: I had to dispose of these books for sure. Then I thought whom should I give it to? So, Prathamesh and Amruta were the most likely candidates. Prathamesh took some books and we gave the rest to Amruta. She thanked me and promised that she would use them as I intended. Now chess lovers will unite at the Temple of Chess and they will always remember that someone named Deodatta Modak had donated all these books.

RR: Are there any favorite books of yours in those you have donated?

DM: British Chess Magazine, Inside Chess, and My Sixty Memorable Games of Bobby Fischer - these are my favorites. I always believed that Fischer took the initiative to popularize chess in the USA and worldwide. I personally think that chess became popular because of Fischer and not anyone else. This is Fischer’s immortal contribution which cannot be expressed in words.

RR: Have you ever played in any rated tournament?

DM: I have played in two National tournaments in Chennai and Jaipur. When I was capable of traveling alone, I played in these tournaments. Both these tournaments had rated and unrated participants.

RR: Did you have a group of friends with whom you used to play chess?

DM: About 25 years ago, I had 2-3 chess friends. But now they don’t live in Nashik because of jobs or other reasons. But we used to play chess at my place. I had a small group back then. Fortunately, because of Vidit Gujrathi, chess became very popular in Nashik. No one thought that he would reach this level. This is good for both Vidit and Nashik chess lovers. I met him 2-3 times but never really got the opportunity to talk to him.

RR: Now that the ‘Temple of Chess’ is formed, how do you feel about it?

DM: I am very happy. My wife and I think that this is the most appropriate use of these books. Most importantly, it is permanent! I love the fact that ‘Temple of Chess’ does not allow people to take any book with them. Because some would return them and some would not. It’s good that people will have to read it there only. I urge this practice to continue because only those who really value it will get to use it. People can spend as many hours as they want to read these books but they should not be allowed to take them home. 

RR: Any last message to the chess lovers?

DM: I would urge that all chess lovers should visit this place and read these books.

A note from the author

I was deeply moved by his humility and immense passion for chess. His story is not just about a generous donation of books; it's about his desire to nurture his love for chess. I realized how a person can have a profound impact on a community. I was lost in these thoughts, but he mentioned something else that touched me even more. In 2003, Mr. and Mrs. Modak donated their house to the National Association for the Blind (NAB) in his father’s name, Mr. M.S. Modak. This association ensures that blind individuals receive residential and training services at this place. On the ground floor of their home, blind people used to play chess regularly till COVID-19. Since the pandemic, this activity stopped. But now they conduct workshops on different crafts for blind people to provide them with a permanent source of livelihood. 

What a selfless and thoughtful decision that is! They not only served the chess community but also cared deeply about the blind community. Their gestures talk a lot about the kind of people they are. I am sure they must have touched every soul that came into their contact. Speaking of touching souls, two people always talk fondly about their Modak Kaka or should I say Modak Kaka always talks fondly about these two? Both Mr. and Mrs. Modak mentioned these two names several times during our conversation.

IM Prathamesh Mokal:

I am always glad to talk about and talk to Modak Kaka! He has a huge passion for chess. Whenever we have a call or a meet, we talk about chess. When I was training to become an IM, my hunger for chess was really huge and there were so many books that I wanted to read. I could not afford high-level coaching, so I wanted to read and absorb as much as possible. I was really overwhelmed by seeing the number of chess books he had. He was very generous to ask me which books I wanted from his amazing collection. He simply allowed me to choose the books I wanted and take them home. I used to return the books whenever I used to go to Nashik. Also, he used to follow my chess career closely. Whenever I used to return from any tournament, I used to mail him my games and we used to discuss. I try to keep him updated about chess as much as possible. He has done a lot for chess and for us. Modak kaka and kaku are very kind, simple and hospitable people. I believe it must be some kind of fate that we came into contact. He is an inspiration for me. When I see his contributions, I feel that I am also going to do my bit as well.

Amruta Mokal:

Both Modak Kaka and Kaku are very simple people. They never forget to wish me on my birthday or anniversary. They even call after any important tournament or just randomly to stay in touch. He always stays updated with chess, no matter what. We never imagined that his amazing book collection would become a part of a place that we would launch. His life story is very inspiring - the way they have built their life, the way they live their life is just amazing! They enjoy what they love the most, whether it's traveling, reading, or caring for blind people. They are very non-materialistic people. It's not easy to find such people!

On a final note:

I was so motivated by our discussion. I returned home and was very excited to write this article. While I was working, I received a call from Mrs. Modak. I was confused. I wondered if I had forgotten anything at their place. I answered the call while checking my bag.

“Rasika, I called to confirm if you reached home safely. It started raining heavily right after you left. So, just wanted to confirm you didn’t have any difficulty.”

This reminded me of a famous Hindi quote: 

“एक ही तो दिल है, कितनी बार जीतोगे?”

That’s Mr. and Mrs. ‘Deo’datta Modak for you!

Few Glimpses of the Temple of Chess:

The evolution of the logo of Temple of Chess

The logo of the 'Temple of Chess' contains a tree, a rook, and a book. The tree represents growth and abundance which reflects the nurturing environment of the place. The rook stands for chess and stability which represents the game. The book symbolizes knowledge, wisdom, and foundation which are the fundamentals of our life. Together, the logo reflects a sense of hope and home which is the perfect representation of what the Temple of Chess stands for. This amazing logo is designed by Abhyudaya Ram.

Pay as you want model:

The Temple of Chess is completely free for anyone who visits it. It runs on a pay as you want model. If anyone feels called to support this initiative, you can do so from this link.

Important links

Temple of Chess on Google Maps

Instagram of Temple of Chess

Experience of a true chess lover

By Pranshu Jadhav

Have you ever yearned for a personal space where you could immerse yourself completely in your passions and practice freely? That’s exactly how I felt as I sought a space to improve my chess game. In 2023, my sudden fascination with chess led me to delve into the game's rules, tournament criteria, and strategies. My first chess tournament, however, was a humbling experience where I lost badly. I was devastated; my confidence felt shattered, and I was left with nothing but the remnants of my hope and tears. But, as the saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way. I gathered my shattered confidence into a 'sack of hope' and pressed on.

Then, an incredible opportunity appeared when ChessBase India announced the opening of its first chess club at Phoenix Market City, Kurla. Without hesitation, I rushed to the club and began practicing with other players. Although my skills improved, the limited availability of the club—only on Saturdays for a few hours—was still a challenge. Yet the universe often provides in mysterious ways. As time passed, I discovered a YouTube video from ChessBase India about the "Temple of Chess." It seemed like a blessing for a dedicated chess player like me. Within a month, the Temple of Chess was launched, and it was as if a new world of chess had opened up to me.

Walking into the Temple of Chess felt like entering another dimension, a place where chess was truly celebrated. The sight of thousands of valuable chess books was nothing short of a treasure trove. The ambiance, from the walls to the floor tiles, was entirely themed around chess, creating an environment that felt like a true home for the game. For me, the Temple of Chess was more than just a venue—it was an embodiment of abundance and a perfect setting to further my chess journey. It was the ideal environment and experience for a serious chess player like me, offering a space where my dreams and dedication could truly flourish.