How visually impaired Darpan Inani navigates challenges in online chess

As soon as Darpan Inani joins the call on a video conferencing platform, a sudden barrage of robotic announcements fills the air.

The writer hesitates, momentarily puzzled. But before he can ask, realisation dawns – "It must be the screen reader."

Inani, 30, is visually impaired. He is one of India’s finest blind chess players. He holds the record for being the highest-rated visually impared player in the country.

The screen reader is an inseparable part of his daily life – whether in chess or beyond.

When he was just three-year-old, Inani was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare illness that took away his eyesight.

Yet, despite this setback, he grew up like any sighted child.

He attended a regular school, topped his class, and later carried this academic brilliance into adulthood, successfully clearing the rigorous Chartered Accountancy exam.

Chess came into his life when he was 13. Though he excelled in studies, he often found himself with nothing to do during breaks or physical education periods.

A visit to the blind association in Vadodara, his hometown, proved to be life-changing.

“We went to the blind welfare association in Baroda and there we saw some braille playing cards and a chessboard,” Inani told The Bridge. “It was chess that caught my interest instead of cards.”

His father taught him the basics, and Inani soon started playing in sighted tournaments. In fact, for the first three years, he had no idea about the existence of blind chess federations and tournaments.

Even to this day, around 80 to 90 percent of the tournaments he competes in are open tournaments. The rest comprise selection events for India’s blind chess teams and competitions like the Chess Olympiad and Asian Para Games – all events where he has won medals.

“Chess is the only sport in the world where a visually impaired person can play against a sighted person on equal footing without any modification or dispensation of rules,” said Inani. “That’s what intrigued me about chess when I started.”

Challenges in the sport

Despite his genuine passion for the game and excellent performances over the years, the journey to the top has not been easy for Inani.

A common feature in visually impaired chess is players announcing their moves out loud to let their opponent know they have played. While playing in sighted events, this becomes a challenge.

“Many times, opponents stop speaking the moves,” said Inani. “It may be intentional or unintentional, depending on the situation.

“Sometimes, sighted players do face ego issues when playing against a visually impaired person, which again creates difficulties. But as far as I am concerned, it’s all part and parcel of the game and life as well,” he added.

Playing in tournaments with no time increment or in situations where he is low on time is another challenge Inani faces despite years of experience.

“When you have just a minute left on the clock, it becomes really difficult to blitz out your moves because no extra time is provided,” he said. “When we pick up a piece on the board, we have to touch the entire board.

“And then pick up the piece, which automatically takes at least five to ten seconds extra, for which I am not compensated,” he added.

Besides, accessibility remains a major concern for visually impaired chess players. Almost 75 per cent of the total study material available for the sport worldwide is not customised for blind chess players.

“As far as computer software is concerned, there are many limitations,” said Inani. “Most modern features that are useful for a sighted person are not usable by a blind person.”

Finding workarounds

Nearly two decades of experience playing chess has made Inani immune to several challenges.

On the other hand, he has learnt to find workarounds for some problems.

For example, Inani still uses an almost decade-old version of a top chess database software, which he feels is more user-friendly for visually impaired players than the latest updates.

“I try to integrate some strong engines with the interface of older versions,” he explained.

He also uses a separate software called Winboard to help him understand the position on the screen while solving chess puzzles.

“I mean, I cannot see the diagram on screen, correct?” he said. “There is no feature in any software that dictates the position.

“So, I have to take the assistance of a sighted person. Or else, there is this software called Winboard, which reads out the position. I copy and paste the position from mainstream software into it,” he added.

The sighted person assisting him is usually his mother, who is not well-versed with the software. So, Inani guides her through the process, which again is time-consuming.

That’s how Inani trains on a daily basis.

“It simply requires me at least one and a half times the effort a normal person would need to detect the position on the board or use some features,” he added.

Playing online Chess

Over-the-board chess is usually simple for visually impaired players with braille boards and opponents announcing moves.

But it becomes difficult in the online world.

“Lichess is the only accessible platform for playing online chess,” Inani said. “You can enter the moves through a keyboard on the platform.

“So instead of using a mouse, I can just enter my move, which the screen reader announces. It also announces when the opponent makes a move,” he added.

Using any other platform means Inani requires assistance from a sighted individual to make the moves.

Inani will soon be in action at the Skillhub Online Games Federation’s (SOGF) Grandmaster series, with the west zone competition set to start soon.

“The initiative of SOGF gives a big platform for visually impaired players like me to prove our mettle in the field and showcase our analytical and calculating abilities to the public,” he said.

Having risen through the ranks of the chess world, Inani has taken his experiences beyond the 64 squares.

Today, he is also a life coach and motivational speaker, inspiring countless people with his journey and oratory skills.

As the call recording comes to an end, his screen reader announces something new.

This time, though, the writer is well prepared.