An International Master BHAKTI KULKARNI has brought home laurels with the Grandmaster woman title, Asian Woman Champion, Arjuna Awardee and more.
To the layman, making moves to
N5b4 or Nc2 might sound like
gibberish. But to Bhakti Kulkarni, this is just binary.
She talks in the language of chess
- D6, H4, H5 and sacrificing a pawn. She mentally runs through her checklist before playing chess. She uses her visual memory and visual perception to analyse the game several moves ahead. The renowned Goan chess player has competed against the world’s toughest champions. To her, the language of chess has become part of her day-to-day affairs. More so, after she had a winning streak and became the first Goan to receive the FIDE title of Grandmaster Woman in 2012 and became an International Master (IM) in 2019, which is the second highest recognition after grandmaster.
After years of playing attack and defense, Kulkarni’s dream to win the Arjuna Award finally came true in 2022. She walked with confidence into Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi to receive the award, the same confidence she shows when playing her opponents gracefully to earn the singular award bestowed on her by India’s president Droupadi Murmu in November last year. Chess is a mental game that uses both left and right hemispheres. To keep her mind in ace condition, she believes in exercising her mind with meditation. Kulkarni, who has set a benchmark for budding Goan chess players to scale, speaks to VIVA GOA about her achievements and goals.
What got you interested in chess?
Being a chess lover, my father Pradip Kulkarni gave me lessons early in my childhood. He had represented his college and university but due to lack of resources couldn’t continue playing. So he tried to fulfill his chess dreams through me! I was just 2.5 years old when he introduced me to this beautiful game! What attracted me then was the colourful board and pieces with different shapes, each one with a unique role to play!
How did your father’s fondness for chess help in shaping your career?
I am very fortunate to have chess enthusiasts at home itself. It is always better to have at least one parent in the same field so they can understand what a child needs. In spite of his busy schedule, my father would spend time showing me interesting games from chess for work in the morning and after he returned late in the evening. It is one thing to extend support when the parent knows the details about that field but I really appreciate my mom Priya for encouraging me all these years despite knowing nothing about chess!
When did you start playing chess professionally?
The first ever tournament I participated in was at Bambolim when I was four years old and the local organisers gave me a cute little trophy as appreciation for being the youngest participant. I started winning my state age group events but I think the real feeling to take this sport as a profession came in the Under-7 nationals in 1998 when I won my first ever bronze medal for Goa. That is when my parents thought I had the talent and if given proper guidance I could win many titles.
Tell us about a stand-out moment from your career so far…
In 2006 I got the golden opportunity to represent our country in the Asian Youth Chess Championship, in Iran.
It was my first ever international tournament where I won gold in the Under-14 Girls and qualified to participate in the World Under-14 Event! I give total credit of my success to my coach Dronacharya Awardee Raghunandan Gokhale Sir who accompanied me to Iran as the official coach of the Indian team and would prepare me during the event. It was the first time I experienced the national anthem played while receiving a medal and got goosebumps!
How did it feel to receive the FIDe titles of Woman Grandmaster in 2012 and International Master in 2019? What is your next goal?
Honestly speaking, when I started my chess journey, I didn’t know how difficult it was to have a professional career in any sport. It’s not just about how hard you work, but also depends on how much you are ready to sacrifice to make a career in sport.
Around 20 years ago when it was not that common for girls to do this. It’s all thanks to my parents for encouraging me all along. They believed in my capabilities.
I was really happy once I got my WGM (Women Grand Master) title from FIDE in 2012 and became Goa’s first woman chess player to have achieved it! It’s the highest title given to women players but I didn’t want to stop and decided to try for the men’s title.
My coach and I really worked hard, played many tournaments and won the International Master Title in 2019 which boosted my confidence! My aim is to win the Women’s World Championship title!
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