Children receiving cancer treatment in Mumbai and Chennai receive chess coaching courses

Children at St. Jude Indian Parenting Centre (Saint Secretariat) who receive cancer treatment at hospitals in Mumbai and Chennai are recently introduced through the Chess Program to enhance their memory, concentration and confidence.

For impoverished parents from all over India who bring their children to cities like Mumbai for cancer treatment, the nonprofit St. Judes offers them free accommodation as long as their treatment period continues in the hospital.

On February 11, 2025, Chessmates Academy, a sports coaching organization based in Mumbai, provided chess coaching courses to children and parents of St. Judes Cotton Green Campus. Later, on February 18, the plan expanded to the Kharghar Center. On February 16, the plan was also introduced in Royapettah, Chennai Centre.

Melwin Mascarenhas, coach and co-founder of Mumbai Chess Academy, said: “Chess helps kids stay focused, think ahead and build confidence – everything is happy.”

St. Jude’s third-lane team set up the Chess Coach Program, which was founded in 2019 to provide emotional support to families living in its heart through a variety of educational and interactive programs.

On the first day of the meeting, children and their caregivers were explained about chess, its benefits in improving focus, problem solving and strategic thinking. The children are introduced to “Chesspa”, a fun grandfather chess character to get engaged. After the introduction, the children were provided with a chessboard as well as a demonstration board and a Chesspa book so that they could participate in the program.

St. Judes CEO Anil Nair said the chess coaching program is an opportunity for children to participate in their thinking and build resilience. “Children are encouraged to take over chess, not only providing fun and intellectual activities, but also helping them build confidence and sport. Children are provided with the chessboard of the academy as a gift. Currently, we only start the program in Mumbai and Chennai and we will be launching it in other cities soon.”

Currently, 32 children are between the age groups of 5 and 8 and 16, aged 9 and older, which is part of the Cotton Green Campus Program. The Kharghar Centre has 23 children between the ages of 5 and 15, and in Chennai, there are 8 children between the ages of 8 and 15.

Chess classes are performed twice a week for children. However, children practice and play regularly.

Although St. Judes offers a variety of indoor games for parents and children, such as Carrom, Ludo and Bingo, Mr Nair said the introduction of chess plays a crucial role in the recovery process. “We have introduced chess to help prevent potential cognitive decline and promote emotional resilience during cancer treatment. Chess has been shown to be beneficial in enhancing memory, concentration, problem-solving skills, and enhancing resilience and confidence in children.”

There are 46 Saint Session Centers in 11 cities in India, and 586 families currently live there. These centres are located in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Vellore, Guwahati, New Delhi, Varanasi, Visakhapatnam and Muzaffarpur.

In Mumbai, four centres are available in Parel, Navi Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Cotton Green East and Bhayandar, which support 225 families. The centre works with Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai; the All-Indian Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi; Tata Medical Center in Kolkata and various other cancer hospitals in other cities.

Jit Chakraborty, 12, of Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, lives on the Cotton Green Campus with his parents’ daily wage workers. On August 9, 2024, he was diagnosed with a primitive neurocortical tumor that mainly affects the central nervous system and surrounding tissues. Since he started learning chess, he has developed a strong passion for chess since he joined the chess class. “Before class, I found chess was challenging, but now, it felt easier and more fun. I also told other friends about chess and how fun it was. When I got back home, I would teach people.”

Residence from Kharghar Center, 13-year-old Priyam Pramanik, 24 South West Bengal, for six months. He was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, in which the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells, thereby squeezeing out healthy blood cells. His parents are also daily wage workers. He found the chess piece, an interesting game. When my father came back from get off work, I played with new friends I made here every day. ”

3 months ago, 16-year-old Laxmanan S. from Chennai was diagnosed with sexual anemia, a rare and severe blood condition that occurs when your bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells. He is with his father, and he is a daily wage worker. “I’ve been watching people play chess on social media, but I never knew how it was played. Learning the game, and the tricks of it excite me because I’m one of the people who play and understand the game now. I’m going to teach other kids as well.”