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By Rasika Ratnaparkhi
During the lockdown, a lot of people started playing chess, which marked a sudden boom in the game. In response to this growing interest, the Chess Club at the Phoenix Marketcity Mall came into the picture, where all the chess players would unite and play together. We witnessed a huge response from chess enthusiasts right from day one. As this club operates every Saturday from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m., it felt like there was a need for a place that would be open every day for more time. The plan was to have a free space dedicated entirely to chess lovers to gather, play, or watch any tournament together.
A few months ago, Mr. Deodatta Modak reached out to Amruta to talk about his wish to donate his books. This was the boost to move forward with the concept. After months of hard work in finding a place and organising everything together, the Temple of Chess was launched on the 15th of August. It’s a spiritual place where all the chess players who worship chess can meet in peace and do what they love doing the best - play and study chess.
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The main space of Temple of chess - it can comfortably host around 15 players
When I first heard about Mr. Deodatta Modak's donation, I was both intrigued and impressed. I couldn't believe that someone had thousands of chess books. I thought he must be a serious chess player. He must have played in numerous tournaments and won many of them. My curiosity grew, and I was eager to meet him. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to do just that and learn about his journey and the story behind his incredible contribution. This is how the conversation went.
That's me with Deodatta Modak at his residence in Nashik
Rasika Ratnaparkhi (RR): Let's start from the beginning. When did you start developing an interest in chess?
Deodatta Modak (DM): When I was around 13-14, my father introduced me to chess. Before that, I was very interested in cricket. But as my teenage years passed, my interest in cricket faded. It nearly disappeared. And I started developing an interest in chess at the age of 17. Then I realised that chess is a very difficult game. It is very easy to learn the rules of chess in one hour, but it is very difficult to play good chess. Very few can achieve that level. It requires a special talent and those who have it can play good chess. This is my personal opinion.
RR: How did you collect so many books? Because the number of books you donated to us is huge!
DM: I don't even remember the exact number. My father's financial condition was very good because of which I could afford foreign books, even when I was not employed. Later, when I got a job, I became financially independent to support my interest in chess. I even learned Russian because some books like 64 and Shakhmaty V SSSR were published in Russian only.
When we received the books from Deodatta Modak
RR: When did you decide to donate these books?
DM: In February 1985, I lost vision in one eye, and in December 2019, I lost vision in the other eye. So, for the past 4–5 years, I have been listening to chess content. Even though I lost my vision, fortunately, I don't have any other health issues. That's when I thought of donating these books. My wife knew how much I valued these books. So, she kept them in good condition and maintained them properly. She used to clean and store it properly every year. Credit goes to her that the books are in good condition.
Smita Modak, the better half of Deodatta Modak and the person responsible for ensuring the good quality of the books!
RR: When did you actually start collecting these books? Did you subscribe to any of the magazines?
DM: I subscribed to the Indian Magazine Chess Mate from the very start. I have also subscribed to the Russian magazines 64 and Shakhmaty V SSSR. I had all the issues of Chess Mate from the start to the present. I have so many issues of Inside Chess magazine. Now I have donated all of them. I have some rare books. Especially very few Indians have them. Now the people who have a genuine interest in chess will benefit from it.
RR: How do you know Amruta and Prathamesh (Amruta's brother) Mokal?
DM: My wife's sister and Amruta-Prathamesh's parents used to live in the same premises. So, I have known them for nearly 35 years. Both of them have been interested in chess since their childhood. I got to know about their interest from my wife's sister. That’s how we connected and bonded well.
RR: Keeping these books must have required a lot of space. So, where did you store these many books?
DM: I had two big cupboards in my house where I stored all the books. I donated the chess books to ChessBase India, but the rest of the books are donated to a Library in Nashik. I gave some books to my wife's friends. I did this so that other people can also read them.
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These are some of the books at the Temple of Chess... not all of them!
RR: Many people have approached you for the books but you did not give them. Why is that?
DM: Because if I had given any books to individuals, others might have complained. They would have expected me to give them the books. That would not have been of much use. Because of the Temple of Chess, many chess lovers in Mumbai can benefit from them.
RR: When did you decide that you would donate these books to ChessBase India? And why did you believe that this would be the best use of them?
DM: I had to dispose of these books for sure. Then I thought, whom should I give it to? So, Prathamesh and Amruta were the most likely candidates. Prathamesh took some books and we gave the rest to Amruta. She thanked me and promised that she would use them as I intended. Now chess lovers will unite at the Temple of Chess, and they will always remember that someone named Deodatta Modak had donated all these books.
RR: Are there any favourite books of yours in those you have donated?
DM: British Chess Magazine, Inside Chess, and My Sixty Memorable Games of Bobby Fischer - these are my favourites. I always believed that Fischer took the initiative to popularise chess in the USA and worldwide. I personally think that chess became popular because of Fischer and not anyone else. This is Fischer's immortal contribution which cannot be expressed in words.
Deodatta Modak's favourite books: British Chess Magazine...
...Bobby Fischer: My 60 Memorable Games...
...and Inside Chess Magazines are available in the Temple of Chess!
RR: Have you ever played in any rated tournament?
DM: I have played in two National tournaments in Chennai and Jaipur. When I was capable of travelling alone, I played in these tournaments. Both these tournaments had rated and unrated participants.
RR: Did you have a group of friends with whom you used to play chess?
DM: About 25 years ago, I had 2-3 chess friends. But now they don't live in Nashik because of jobs or other reasons. But we used to play chess at my place. I had a small group back then. Fortunately, because of Vidit Gujrathi, chess became very popular in Nashik. No one thought that he would reach this level. This is good for both Vidit and Nashik chess lovers. I met him 2–3 times, but never really got the opportunity to talk to him.
It is only fitting that a place where the books were donated by a person from Nashik, was inaugurated by a fellow Nashikkar
RR: Now that the Temple of Chess is formed, how do you feel about it?
DM: I am very happy. My wife and I think that this is the most appropriate use of these books. Most importantly, it is permanent! I love the fact that Temple of Chess does not allow people to take any book with them. Because some would return them and some would not. It's good that people will have to read it there only. I urge this practice to continue because only those who really value it will get to use it. People can spend as many hours as they want to read these books, but they should not be allowed to take them home.
RR: Any last message to the chess lovers?
DM: I would urge that all chess lovers should visit this place and read these books.
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An old photo of Deodatta Modak when he visited the Chess Palace in USA
I was deeply moved by his humility and immense passion for chess. His story is not just about a generous donation of books; it's about his desire to nurture his love for chess. I realised how a person can have a profound impact on a community.
I was lost in these thoughts, but he mentioned something else that touched me even more. In 2003, Mr. and Mrs. Modak donated their house to the National Association for the Blind (NAB) in his father's name, Mr. M.S. Modak. This association ensures that blind individuals receive residential and training services at this place. On the ground floor of their home, blind people used to play chess regularly till COVID-19. Since the pandemic, this activity stopped. But now they conduct workshops on different crafts for blind people to provide them with a permanent source of livelihood.
Dr. M.S. Modak Research and Rehabilitation Center: the place where workshops & seminars for blind people are organised
A chess workshop was one of them.
What a selfless and thoughtful decision that is! They not only served the chess community but also cared deeply about the blind community. Their gestures talk a lot about the kind of people they are. I am sure they must have touched every soul that came into their contact. Speaking of touching souls, two people always talk fondly about their Modak Kaka, or should I say Modak Kaka always talks fondly about these two? Both Mr. and Mrs. Modak mentioned these two names several times during our conversation.
IM Prathamesh Mokal: I am always glad to talk about and talk to Modak Kaka! He has a huge passion for chess. Whenever we have a call or a meet, we talk about chess. When I was training to become an IM, my hunger for chess was really huge and there were so many books that I wanted to read. I could not afford high-level coaching, so I wanted to read and absorb as much as possible. I was really overwhelmed by seeing the number of chess books he had. He was very generous to ask me which books I wanted from his amazing collection. He simply allowed me to choose the books I wanted and take them home. I used to return the books whenever I used to go to Nashik. Also, he used to follow my chess career closely. Whenever I used to return from any tournament, I used to mail him my games, and we used to discuss. I try to keep him updated about chess as much as possible. He has done a lot for chess and for us. Modak Kaka and Kaku are very kind, simple and hospitable people. I believe it must be some kind of fate that we came into contact. He is an inspiration for me. When I see his contributions, I feel that I am also going to do my bit as well.
Prathamesh Mokal with Deodatta Modak and Smita Modak at their place in Nashik
Amruta Mokal: Both Modak Kaka and Kaku are very simple people. They never forget to wish me on my birthday or anniversary. They even call after any important tournament or just randomly to stay in touch. He always stays updated with chess, no matter what. We never imagined that his amazing book collection would become a part of a place that we would launch. His life story is very inspiring - the way they have built their life, the way they live their life is just amazing! They enjoy what they love the most, whether it's travelling, reading, or caring for blind people. They are very non-materialistic people. It's not easy to find such people!
Amruta Mokal at the Temple of Chess
I was so motivated by our discussion, I returned home and was very excited to write this article. While I was working, I received a call from Mrs. Modak. I was confused. I wondered if I had forgotten anything at their place. I answered the call while checking my bag.
Rasika, I called to confirm if you reached home safely. It started raining heavily right after you left. So, just wanted to confirm you didn’t have any difficulty.
This reminded me of a famous Hindi quote:
"एक ही तो दिल है, कितनी बार जीतोगे?"
That’s Mr. and Mrs. 'Deo'datta Modak for you!
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The board is set, are you?
Sit casually, play seriously!
The first visitor of the Temple of Chess: Mr. Sanjay Borkar
Amruta having a conversation with the visitors at the Temple of Chess
This gentleman donated two books to the Temple of Chess in the name of his colleague. His colleague passed away a few months ago, but wanted these books to be put to good use!
The first session at the Temple of Chess was held by IM Sagar Shah on the 25th of August. 14 people attended the session on the topic 'Developing Critical Thinking in Chess'
The logo of the Temple of Chess contains a tree, a rook, and a book. The tree represents growth and abundance, which reflects the nurturing environment of the place. The rook stands for chess and stability, which represents the game. The book symbolizes knowledge, wisdom, and foundation, which are the fundamentals of our life. Together, the logo reflects a sense of hope and home, which is the perfect representation of what the Temple of Chess stands for. This amazing logo was designed by Abhyudaya Ram.
The meaning of the logo of the Temple of Chess! | Credits: Abhyudaya Ram
A quick sneak peek into the Temple of Chess
The Temple of Chess is completely free for anyone who visits it. It runs on a pay as you want model. If anyone feels called to support this initiative, you can do so from this link.
