A movement that began with nothing but intent — and grew into a foundation reaching thousands of rural children across Uttar Pradesh.
From a small room with 2 plastic boards to international representation — here's how it happened.
After COVID, Ankit and Prabhat returned to their village. With no clear roadmap ahead, they started a small space called the Learning Hub — not to build a business, but to share whatever they knew. Free classes, chess as a way to think better.
Their first tournament had only 6 players, played on 2 plastic chessboards, with no clocks, no software. Results were written on a whiteboard, and prizes came from their own pockets. Something incredible started that day.
As the work slowly grew, they met Aman — a Senior National Arbiter from the same district who believed in the same vision. Together, they strengthened what had already begun through consistency and effort.
Under The Learning Hub, they organised their first proper district-level rapid chess tournament. What once started with 6 children in a room had now become a structured tournament with nearly 100 players. This wasn't just an event — it was validation.
They formally established Shreejan Learning Hub Foundation. Prabhat travelled alone to more than 80 schools in extreme summer heat, carrying chess boards from one place to another, introducing chess to thousands of students — not for money, not for recognition, but because he believed it mattered.
Support arrived from The Gift of Chess, and more than 300 children received chessboards. What others often do with funding and teams, they were trying to do with determination alone. And quietly, a movement started taking shape.
They launched a focused initiative: "Checkmate Her Limits – Empowering Rural Girls Through Chess". With initial support from Universal Sompo & Ek Prayas, the program began as a pilot, but its impact was immediate. 250+ girls from 5 villages joined.
A team of rural girls, trained under their initiative, travelled to compete at the FIDE World School Team Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan. From sitting on village floors with shared chessboards to sitting across international players — that distance was enormous. But they crossed it.
The journey continues. Help us write the next chapter of this movement — one move, one child, one dream at a time.