IN AN effort to popularise the game of 64 squares, Vidya Bharati Vidarbha (VBV) and Krida Bharati Nagpur Mahanagar (KBNM) have joined hands to host a unique event — a first of its kind — wherein former India chess coach Sharad Vaze will play with 1000 players in ten days. There have been many events when a big player has played chess with many players at one time but in this event, Vaze, who is also Founder President of Challenger Chess Academy, Mumbai will be playing with 100 player daily for ten days. “We have come out with this unique event to promote chess in the region. This is not a competition but a show of this magnitude, that involves many schools and scores of players will sure help the sport grow. We have selected ten city schools that will host the event each day starting August 20 and culminating on National Sports Day on August 29. Hundred players in batches of twenty each will play Vaze at one time,” informed Jitendra Ghordadekar, Sports Incharge, Vidya Bharati during a press conference on Thursday. All the players who will be playing against Vaze have duly filled a registration form on which, Vaze will give them grades. The schools that have been short-listed include — Saraswati Shishu Mandir Jaitala, Tip Top convent, Deendayal Nagar, RS Mundle English School Samarth Nagar, Jijabai Labhe Smriti Navyug Vidyalaya Mahal, Shahu Garden School Manewada Road, Gajanan Vidyalaya Ayodhya Nagar, Utkarsh Vidyamandir Khapri, Keshavnagar High School Jagnade Square and Pandit Bachchraj Vyas Vidyalaya. In the concluding ceremony, Maharashtra’s first Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay will be prominently present. Prasanna Hardas, Dr Sharad Suryawanshi, Shailesh Joshi, Shailendra Manavat and Sandeep Panchbhai were also present during the press conference. Vidya Bharati’s sports in Oct Vidya Bharati’s regional sports will be held from October 8-10. Vidarbha’s 24 schools including State and CBSE ones, will be competing in eight events — athletics, volleyball,, basketball, ball badminton, kho-kho, softball, mallakhamb and yogasan. The athletic events are proposed to be held at the newly-laid synthetic track of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University. Vidarbha players will lock horns with players from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa. More than 300 players will be seen in action in the two-day event. On first day, there will be only reporting of the players, informed Ghordadekar. Vidya Bharati Western Region’s President Annaji Dange will be present during the inauguration.