It is 10 am on a sunny winter day in Jammu. Soham Kamotra looks out of the window to soak in the fine weather before settling down to master his moves on a board of Chess. With a book in hand that details strategic moves, he shuts himself from the world to practice moving the pawns and the Knights and Bishops in an effort to master the process that will one day help him scale grand heights in one of the oldest of sports in the world.
Soham Kamotra, the Under-18 Commonwealth champion, is not alone in juggling his brain on this quiet sport in Jammu and Kashmir. He is one among the thousands of youngsters who have taken a liking for Chess “When I started there were very few players here, but today I see the game has become very popular with many people aspiring to become chess players,” he says.
The six-time state-level champion Soham Kamotra, started playing the game when he was nine years old, practicing with his elder brother and father. “The intensity of the game kicked a passion in me. I loved thinking hard before playing the right moves. It requires you to master a thorough process”, he says talking about the initial inspiration that helped him take this game seriously.
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