Blind Chess at the IBSA Games

Yes, it does not matter what your visual impairment is from Partially Sighted to fully blind. There are different ways to play with a set that has rough or smooth surfaces to signify Black or White, some have raised bumps to show the same black or white.

Each player is required to tell the other person of their move as well as write it down to ensure fair play. The silence in the room is intense as all you really hear are pieces moving around the board. I have my back to them as I type this up, a cough every now and then and that’s about it.

However, the concentration on their faces is immense as they would have to think more with imagination as opposed to the visual reference a sighted person has.

The Beginning of the Games is at 3 pm here is the photo of the start

A Typical Chess Board

Here is a typical chess set for visually impaired or blind people

Notice the raised or smooth surfaces on the top of each piece, plus the board itself is raised for the distinction between black and white squares

Now at 4 pm let’s see how they are getting on

These games have some time to run, so I am heading out and the results will be on the IBSA games website