Karachi anticipates its biggest board of chess

It is a good move, commented Abdul Qayoom, who lives near Karachi's Abdullah Haroon Road, looking at the recently inaugurated, under construction largest chess corner of the port city.

With the city authorities aiming to open it for the public on the eve of New Year and completing the construction by December 25, Qayoom saw one of his fears dispelled during the past few days.

"It used to be an ugly space and people often treated it as a garbage dump," he recalled pointing to the edge of Lily Bridge on Abdullah Haroon Road. "I thought it would be occupied by land grabbers, but now it will of good use for all citizens," he added. "[The chess corner] will attract citizens from all parts of the city."

Literally named 'The Chess Corner', the space is to have a humongous chessboard - 16 inches by 16 inches, made of pure marble, fixed on a 22 square feet monument.

According to a labourer, Mohammad Ali Chohan, construction of the board is complete and it will be fixed on the monument in the coming week.

"It took us two and a half months to make the chessboard alone," he told The Express Tribune, adding that he had never seen this big a chessboard ever in his life.

At a loss of words to describe the board that left him in awe when completed, he was only able to utter, "It is beautiful."

A Karachi Metropolitan Corporation engineer, Sami, shared similar thoughts.

"The entire corner, also housing Karachi's third street library, is beautifully designed to attract citizens and tourists," he remarked.

Inaugurated on November 19, 2020 by then Karachi administrator Iftikhar Shallwani, who had also conceptualised the space, the chess corner is now in the final stages of construction. Shelves for a library have been installed there, and seats and electric poles have been fixed. To play a game of chess, however, citizens will have to bring their own game board and pieces as 'The Chess Corner' itself is ornamental.

Moreover, 10 stone blocks, each emblazoned with 'I love Karachi' in different languages, add to its beauty. The blocks, featuring foreign languages, also serve as a tourist gimmick in the neighbourhood, which houses the city's upscale hotels.

"Karachi is an international city. It is a way of welcoming tourists from other countries," shared South Deputy Commissioner Irshad Ahmed Sodhar. "The corner was envisioned as part of an initiative to improve urban spaces and enhance the metropolis' beauty."

However, for now, it is Karachiites who are excited at the prospect of the country's largest city having its own chess corner, with the largest chessboard most have ever seen.

Jawwad Ahmed, who often visits the site with his family to sightsee "attractive places" along Abdullah Road, is keen to photograph 'The Chess Corner' when it will be complete next week.

Until then, he has settled for documenting the site's construction - capturing with his camera the city's history for future generations.