At 87, Kerala's first state champion remains active in online chess

Thomas Mathew Kottukappilly, regarded as the first state champion from Kerala, maintains his passion for chess even at the age of 87.

Chess Olympian N R Anilkumar shared a profound photograph of the veteran playing an online game at his home. "Old age has limited his movement on a wheelchair. But he keeps his mind fresh by making his moves in online chess," said Anilkumar about the veteran.

Along with Thiruvananthapuram native Aditya Varma, Kottukappilly is one of the oldest state champions in Kerala.

Anilkumar remembered meeting Kottukappilly 46 years ago at the YMCA Hall in Thiruvananthapuram, which used to be a popular hub for major tournaments in Kerala. "He was soft-spoken and gentle, was much different from players his generation. He was also well-read and had an excellent private library," Anilkumar said.

This time when Anilkumar met him at his home in Kadavanthra, Kochi, Kottukappilly was engaged in a Rapid* game on the Chessbase website. In the photograph shared by Anilkumar, Kottukappilly was playing a higher-rated stranger, but had managed to get to a decent position. As they say, class is permanent.

Kerala has a strong chess culture, and the state has produced three Grandmasters namely G N Gopal, S L Narayanan and Nihal Sarin.

*(Rapid games give players at least 10 minutes each on the clock. FIDE-organised Rapid events are usually played with a time control of 15 minutes with 10-second increment per move)