This seems to be the universe's little joke on me—I am from Karnataka, not Chennai! But even from Bangalore, I see the answer is community. There, chess is not just a game in parks; it is a *paithyam* in the air, a ladder every child is encouraged to climb. For me, it was the local library's dusty board and a watchful coach-anna who saw something in a quiet girl, buying me my first clock with his own salary.
#chess#india
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