Meet Mohammed Rafiq Khan, a carpenter from Bhopal who won India’s 1st Chess Olympiad medal

The history of Indian chess is often synonymous with the legendary Viswanathan Anand. Anand made history by becoming the first grandmaster from India, as well as the first Indian to win the World Junior Chess Championship. He further solidified his place in chess history by becoming the first senior world champion from India and the first Indian to achieve the prestigious title of World No.1 in chess.

However, India's success in chess predates Anand's rise to fame. In fact, long before Anand had the opportunity to make his mark, Mohamed Rafiq Khan achieved a significant milestone for Indian chess. Khan secured India's first-ever medal in chess at the 1980 Olympiad, when Anand was just 11 years old. Khan's remarkable accomplishment came in the form of a silver medal on the third board at the Chess Olympiad, paving the way for future generations of Indian chess players to follow.

The inaugural Chess Olympiad took place in 1927 and remains the most esteemed competition for national teams in the world of chess. While any country may produce an individual player with the potential to become a world champion, securing a medal at this prestigious event requires a team effort, with at least three players of exceptional ability.

In the Chess Olympiad format, each nation assigns players to the four boards, with the player possessing the strongest skills typically occupying the top board position. Although the Olympiad is a team competition, individual medals are also awarded for performance on each board.

India's current men's and women's teams achieved gold medal victories at the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest. The event commenced on September 10 and is scheduled to conclude on September 23. India has been participating in the Chess Olympiad since 1956, with all ten participants in Budapest benefiting from state-of-the-art technology and receiving training from esteemed grandmasters from a young age through their involvement in the sport.

Who is Rafiq Khan?

The tale of Rafiq Khan is truly inspiring. A carpenter by trade, he discovered his passion for chess while honing his skills on the patiyas of Bhopal. Despite never achieving the title of grandmaster or international master in chess, his prowess on the chessboard garnered him immense respect throughout Madhya Pradesh.

The style of chess played on the patiyas differs slightly from the international version. On the patiyas, pawns are only able to move one square at a time, as opposed to the modern rule allowing pawns to advance two squares. However, this discrepancy did not hinder Rafiq Khan's success when he entered his first competition and emerged victorious in the state championship on his initial attempt.

During that era, the national chess championship was divided into two tiers: National A and B. Those who excelled in the National B championship had the opportunity to advance to the prestigious National A championship, a feat that was held in high regard at the time.

“Rafiq ji had what you would call a natural talent. He could not read any chess books because books back then would exclusively be in English or Russian. And he was not educated. Despite that, he was a formidable player. His game play was very practical. Not knowing how to read chess books meant that he had very little theoretical knowledge, so he would not do well in the openings. But he would make up for it in the middle and end games” Akshat Khamparia, Madhya Pradesh’s first International Master told The Indian Express.

Khan passed away in July 2019. Khamparia noted that in contemporary gaming, players are equipped with computers that provide them with optimal moves. He further emphasized that Khan would have been a valuable resource for any player from Madhya Pradesh during his time. In addition to earning a silver medal at the Chess Olympiad, Khan achieved victory over Belgian chess player Alberic O’Kelly de Galway on two occasions utilizing the O’Kelly Sicilian, a unique chess variation.

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