In Conversation With Darpan Inani, India’s Highest Rated
Darpan Inani is the highest rated blind chess player in India and the youngest to have ever won the National blind chess championships.
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Updated November 2026. This was first published on 21 November 2022. The idea is the same. Any number below is what the original piece said then. It is not a new count. This is a record of a conversation from that day. No new quotes were added.
Key takeaways
- Darpan Inani is the highest rated blind chess player in India and the youngest to have ever won the National blind chess championships.
- He is the strongest blind player in India.
- He has been a bronze medalist at the World Junior Championship in 2013.
Darpan Inani is the highest rated blind chess player in India and the youngest to have ever won the National blind chess championships. He is the strongest blind player in India. He has been a bronze medalist at the World Junior Championship in 2013. At the age of 16, he became the youngest player to win the National Blind Championship, a record which still stands. Darpan talks about his journey as a chess player, his struggles and his future goals. Darpan Inani is a player whose story is inspirational. Read on to know more about him and his achievements.
Q: How did you get acquainted with chess? Who taught you, and how did your journey begin? #
I was studying in a regular school and was the only blind student. Everybody could play during the physical education classes, except me. My parents thought if he is studying like a normal kid and doing well, what could we do for him to play like normal kids? We went to a local Blind Welfare Association, found a specially designed chessboard, and got it at home. My father taught me the basics, like, these are the pieces, and this is how they move.
I started participating in some Blind V/s Sited tournaments. The format was to have 10 of both blind and sited participants. In the first round, I was paired with Zaheer Bhatkar and lost against him. I don’t know what he saw in me, but he was very inclined for me to take chess professionally. Through him, I got to know about professional coaches who could help boost up my career. He himself is an amateur player; he plays whenever he gets time. I am glad to have him as my mentor in the early stage of my career.
Q: How difficult was it to improve at chess? Tell us about the struggles you faced to beco #
I think initially, accessibility and managing the clock was the major issue. While playing chess, you have to manage your time and position on board simultaneously. Being visually impaired, it was challenging to manage time initially, but things became more manageable with practice. I started using chess software like Fritz. I learned how to use this software using only a keyboard (I can’t use a mouse). It was challenging because the software is not designed primarily for the blind. I had a hard time figuring out how to play using the keyboard and how to find the games of different players. Although, after spending a considerable amount of time, I was able to use at least 80% of the software’s features through the keyboard only.
For managing the time pressure, I think practice was the key. I started practicing online games for 5-10 minutes rounds. My mother use to sit next to me, and I would dictate to her the moves. These were some of the biggest challenges, but I think I am getting better at time pressure as well.
Q: Is there software designed especially for visually impaired professionals? #
There are some software like TALK 64 and WinBoard designed specifically for visually impaired professionals. Still, those are not at par with Fritz or ChessBase. are absolutely necessary for a professional chess player.
Q: There might be a few accessibility issues when reading, analyzing chess books or practi #
Most of the chess books are in PGN formats, i.e., they have diagrams on almost all pages. The screen reading software would read the text, but it doesn’t read the diagram, such as the positions of the chess pieces. Although, with the combination of Fritz and ChessBase, I can access it to a great extent. For chess books in PDF format, it is complicated to access and understand.
I am able to read the evaluations of the positions. I analyze the game on software like Fritz. Let’s say my opponent played a move; I play that move using keyboard and check the evaluation. Also, suppose I have some other move in mind; I also enter the alternate move and then compare the evaluation.
Q: Would you please tell us how technology has helped you? #
It would not have been possible for me to read those voluminous books without someone’s assistance. I never had to learn Braille. this defines how much technology has enabled me to be more and unconventional and help me pursue chess professionally.
Whenever I am back from a tournament, immediately after coming home, I enter those moves into the Chess software and analyze them. The computer also plays the role of a coach in my chess profession. With the help of cell phones, I can stay connected with people worldwide. Technology has played an enormous role in gaining success both academically and professionally.
Q: How has playing chess impacted your life? What are the key points you learned from this #
The unique thing about this game is it offers me or any visually impaired person to play at par with sighted people and even beat them. There are no dispensations, no compromises with the rules, and everything is the same, just different boards. You can play with the sighted people and beat them.
It has also given me a sense of self-esteem and independence. Barring the preparation part, when you are playing, you don’t need any assistance. And even during the preparation, I think you need 10-20 % assistance.
It also helps you in your education as well. So maybe that would have helped me in chess or vice versa. Most blind people face a lot of difficulties while dealing with geometry, but I love geometry; chess helped me with it.
Q: You have also spoken on various platforms as a motivational speaker. Can you talk about #
Well, as of now, I don’t consider myself a professional motivational speaker. Whenever I’m able to carve out time, I try to deliver lectures at motivational events. I want to scale those up now and give more time towards motivational speaking and seminars. I get to meet a lot of people at these events that create a network effect.
Q: You have recently become a chartered accountant. How did you manage to balance chess pl #
Whenever there was an exam, I stopped playing for 3-4 months. Chess took a backseat because I was not able to devote much time while preparing for CA. I think in the last three years, I could participate in six-seven tournaments only. I aim to get back at chess and become the First International Master (IM) from Asia.
There was not much room to play tournaments. I don’t play in Rapid tournaments, and the classical tournaments last for four-seven days. If it involves travelling, you need at least 13 days for the tournament and an additional fortnight for preparation. But, even with five matches, I was able to propel the rating from 1950 to 2135 (with a KA factor of 20).
Q: Almost all professional sportsmen work on their mental game. How do you retain your men #
I think, in my case, I had to face challenges right from the very beginning. So somehow, that mental toughness was very much instilled since childhood. I lost my eyesight completely at the age of three; I was absolutely normal before that. If you have faced challenges in the early stage of life, you already have that mindset that either you can be a victim or you can be a victor. I had to decide from childhood that I want to be a victor and not the victim. I think this is what helped me to retain my mental toughness.
Q: Who are your inspirations from the very beginning? #
Vishwanathan Anand and Garry are my inspiration for my professional life. For life, in general, I follow Stephen Hawking and Warren Buffet.
Q: The Indian new generations of Chess players like Nihal and Pragg are doing very well. D #
Many youngsters are making their debut these days and are excited about taking chess professionally. They are also succeeding in gaining sponsors to support themselves, which is very crucial. I am excited to see them excel in their carrer.
Q: Finally, could you talk about your future goals and ambitions? #
I have two milestones to achieve in my life: 1. Become a CA: I have already accomplished this goal. In future, I am hoping to start my own CA firm.
Become an International Masters (IM): I aim to be the first IM from Asia. It would be great if I can find some corporate sponsors to support my chess carrier and help me achieve this milestone.
Questions and answers #
Q: Is there software designed especially for visually impaired professionals? #
There are some software like TALK 64 and WinBoard designed specifically for visually impaired professionals. Still, those are not at par with Fritz or ChessBase.
Q: Would you please tell us how technology has helped you? #
It would not have been possible for me to read those voluminous books without someone’s assistance. this defines how much technology has enabled me to be more and unconventional and help me pursue chess professionally.
Q: Who are your inspirations from the very beginning? #
Vishwanathan Anand and Garry are my inspiration for my professional life. For life, in general, I follow Stephen Hawking and Warren Buffet.