Yerawada prison’s women’s team qualifies for global chess championship

Six women inmates from Yerawada Women's Prison in India have qualified for the FIDE Intercontinental Chess Championship for Prisoners, the biggest chess event among correctional facilities. The tournament, organized by the International Chess Federation and the Chicago Cook County Sheriff's Office, will be held online from October 15 to 17.

The team, coached by Pradnya Khaire and her husband Ketan Khaire, consists of four main players and two reserves chosen from a pool of 20 inmates who play chess. The inmates, aged between their early 20s and early 50s, are either serving sentences or awaiting trial for serious offenses like murder, kidnapping, and assault.

Chess, the team's coach explains, teaches players to think several moves ahead. Every move has consequences that invite a response from the opponent, a lesson that the inmates have applied to their lives. The team's progress began in 2021 as part of Indian Oil Corporation's Parivartan: Prison to Pride initiative, with Indian Chess Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte mentoring the program.

Pradnya Khaire joined as trainer in 2024, and the team qualified for the Asia round in May, qualifying for the Intercontinental Championship in October.

The six-member team trains on computers and physical boards inside the prison, with a dedicated laptop for the team soon to arrive. They focus on specific openings, endgames, and time management during practice sessions that often extend late into the night. For these inmates, chess offers a way to step beyond the confines of prison life and provides an opportunity for personal growth.