Checkmate at the farm - A unique chess tournament by Akshayakalpa

by Aditya Sur Roy - 27/01/2026

While most chess tournaments are organised inside closed doors and controlled environment, Akshayakalpa, one of the pioneers in sustainable and organic food production came up with the unique concept of checkmate at the farm. A chess tournament beyond the confinements of concrete, below the open skies and right in the lap of nature. Forty young enthusiasts participated in the unique event and after five fun yet intense rounds of chess, Aarav Kumar and Ishaan Kandi were declared the champions under-nine and under-fourteen categories respectively. But you know what was the most unique part of the event? It's what happened beyond the chess board. A pictorial storytelling by Aditya Sur Roy.

26th of January, 2026. Hyderabad, India

It is an usual custom to start the day commemorating India's Republic day on the 26th of January every year. This year was the 77th Republic day of India, a tribute to the day our constitution came into force, shaping India into the world's largest democracy. Every year, children will go to their schools to celebrate the day which involves hoisting the Indian flag and signing the national anthem and other activities as tribute to the nation. Once that is done, parents usually take them to picnics, amusement parks or for other sort of entertainment, but there was something special arranged for some children in Hyderabad. A chess tournament in the lap of nature - Akshayakalpa Kids Chess Tournament at the Farm, 2026. What's more interesting about the event was there was a whole day event planned for the accompanying persons too, so while the kids would make the moves over the board, off the board everyone can enjoy different activities planned throughout the day.

The guidelines and the schedule of the day

The board at the entrance

Located far away from the hustle and bustle of the city of Hyderabad, the Akshayakalpa organic farm is a world of its own. With sustainability and conscious thinking in mind, their goal is simple yet just what the world needs right now - "Our goal is to influence the way we approach nutrition by bringing to you produce that is naturally healthy and full of flavour. We are the pioneers of organic food. We are part of an on-going journey to create sustainable farms which are a perfect amalgamation of our goal to nurture nature, preserve heritage practices and our scientific expertise – while meeting the growing need for complete and convenient nutrition"

The grand welcome

The grand entry of the bullock cart galloping towards us

While the usual norm is to be welcomed with a ride on a bus or a car, at the Akshayakalpa organic farm it was all old school and in style as a bullock cart came roaring at us in full speed gushing the winds and the sand on the roads just like a scene from a movie. We hopped on to the cart and enjoyed a nice ride to the location of the event thinking to ourselves that is how people used to travel back in the day and also if you are lucky you can enjoy this in some parts of country as well. Yes, in 2026.

Everyone was given a chair to board the beautifully decorated cart

Everyone settled in and enjoying the ride

Though it was a fun and enjoyable ride for all the visitors, it should also be noted that the bullock cart (ఎద్దుల బండి - Eddula Bandi) holds immense significance in the cultural references of the Telugu regions. They represent a deep-rooted connection to agriculture, tradition, and rural life in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, having served common people and farmers for years. Modern vehicles have currently replaced them but still the bullock cart remains a symbol of rural heritage, especially during festivals and in agricultural operations.

Me and my uncle also got a chance to enjoy the ride

After the enjoyable bullock cart ride, once we reached the site of the event, we were welcomed by some cool and fresh buttermilk which acted as the perfect refresher after the long journey. Buttermilk is a traditional welcome drink usually served in some hotter regions of India. It is a dairy product made from the liquid left after churning butter, or by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria. Best served fresh and chill.

Mona helping me with a glass of buttermilk

The beautiful thing to note at the onset was the custom of washing your utensils after use. This is one of the core practices at the farm, you can use any cutlery you like for eating or drinking purposes however you have to make sure to clean them after using.

The beautiful practice of cleaning your own utensils after use

The event - Checkmate at the Akshayakalpa farm

After all the greetings, initial briefing and welcome drinks, it was time for the children to settle down for the Akshayakalpa Kids Chess Tournament at the Farm. The tournament was divided into two categories, under nine and under fourteen. A total of forty participants registered for the event.

Players start to take their seats for the round to start

Under the sunny blue skies and occasional winds gently blowing your hair, the games begin right at the heart of the farm. While there were some some regular faces, for some it was the first time they sat on a chess board to play a game. Indeed an experience worth remembering.

Players in action in the lap of nature

Out of the many unique experiences the participants had in the event, one of them was having their own colourful name cards as you can see in the above picture. Something really well thought of and can be used by organisers in future tournaments making it easier to identify if players are sitting in the correct order and in the correct board.

When chess also became an outdoor game

When the rays of the sun occasionally fell on the boards and the players, it really felt like chess can also be an outdoor sport too considering we have the right setting and also the right kind of climate conditions. We saw players also enjoyed the play of sunlight and occasional clouds and gentle breeze and run around after a game, the results often didn't matter.

A happy player running to share the news after winning his game

Its always fun to catch young players in action over the board. There's always so many emotions and stories to witness while they are indulged in the game.

Only chess players would know this feeling

Locked in is the way to be when on the board

All the lines of the line you almost remember

Its sometimes really hard to make the correct choice on the board

Chess is for everyone. Some members of the farm enjoying the game during a break

The best place to make new friends, on the board

Focus Focus and Focus

The special activities for parents

While the children were enjoying their games, the parents had their share of fun with various different activities planned around the farm. The first activity was a really interesting one. One of the members of the farm showed us some trees and asked us to identify them.

A dragon fruit plant at the farm

While it sounds interesting but it was also pretty difficult as most these plants and its fruits were rare and exotic. Most of these are not native to the region but has many benefits from medicinal to nutritional and that is why these plants are important for the farm.

Everyone wondering what kind of plants these are

Some plants bearing fruits at the farm

Understanding importance of seeds and conscious farming

There were many activities like poultry visit, orientation about Akshayakalpa, farm walk, vegetable harvest & purchase and many more. Enjoy some photos as everyone enjoyed various activities around the farm.

Turn your old clothes into tote bags activity, a sustainable approach to deal with clothes

Fresh eggs at the poultry farm

All chickens at the farm are free-range chicken

We saw some rabbits too

It was time for lunch and a special vegetarian lunch was prepared for all the guests from ingredients grown in the farm. It seemed everyone enjoyed the food and as a practice we needed to clean and wash our plates after we had finished our food.

The sumptuous and delicious fresh prepared food

Everyone gathered to collect their food

One of the most interesting activities was the visit at the animal shed visit at the farm. Why was it interesting? It was because one of the members showed everyone how mindfully the milk is taken from the mother cows. From their feed to their health, everything is taken care of at the ultimate level. It was a really new experience for many young children and for some elder participants too.

A member explains the milking process

Everyone seemed hooked on to the understand the process

The closing and prize distribution

Like all good things, the event came to an end with all the activities being finished and also the rounds of the chess tournament. In the under- fourteen category, Ishaan Kandi became the clear champion with a score of 4.5/5. With four wins and one draw, it was a nice finish for the young lad. Arjun Kasam, Maneesh Reddy Lingam and Atharv Jaglan scored four points each and were declared second, third and fourth respectively. One intersting fact to share here is that all three top finishers are from the same chess academy - Chess Mavericks All the players received a participation certificate and a goody bag from Akshayakalpa.

It was a real honour to give the champions trophy to Ishaan Kandi

Arjun Kasam receiving the trophy for second place

Third position for Maneesh Reddy Lingam

Ishaan Kandi and his father Ramu Kandi

In the under-nine category, Aarav Kumar clinched the championship with a perfect score of 5/5. A cricket lover Aarav enjoyed his time playing chess at the farm. Ishan Gandhavarapu finished second with a score of 4/5 and Aashna Kaur finished third scoring 3.5/5. All three of them were clear winners.

Aarav Kumar getting the champions trophy

Ishan Gandhavarapu receiving the trophy for second place

Third place trophy for Aashna Kaur

The final standings

Aarav Kumar with his father

The two champions with their fathers

Aarav Kumar with his father and coach FM Rishpal Singh

It was a really special event for us to cover and we thank Akshayakalpa for organising this unique event where not only players, everyone could enjoy. We thank the organisers and the people behind the event and look forward to many more events from Akshayakalpa.

Checkout all the photos from the tournament photos in our facebook album