SINGAPORE: Minutes before their first international chess tournament on Tuesday (Oct 8), Singapore’s eight representatives receive instructions from grandmaster Kevin Goh.

“Don’t tense up,” he says, while walking them through the competition format.

One of the group leaves momentarily to use the restroom; another does some stretching.

In front of the eight are their own laptops, from which they will do battle with rivals from around the region.

But this is no ordinary chess contest.

The laptops have locked keyboards, the competitors are supervised closely by officers, and they are vying from Changi Prison.

The Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners (IOCCP) is about to begin.

AN "INSATIABLE HUNGER"

Last year, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), in collaboration with the Singapore Chess Federation, introduced a chess programme for inmates within Changi Prison’s B1 institution, as part of the Chess for Freedom (CFF) initiative.

The aim was to harness the qualities of chess to aid in inmate rehabilitation and reduce recidivism.

Integral to CFF's inception was Mr Goh, who's one of just six chess grandmasters in Singapore. This is the highest title a chess player can attain.

“Ever since I joined the Singapore Chess Federation, (I had been thinking) about how we can improve the awareness of the game and all its healthy benefits,” he told CNA.

“We brainstormed a few key ideas and one of the ideas which came out was this exact programme.”

Praising the initiative, Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said: “It's good to provide pro-social alternative activities or even hobbies for our inmates, so that they can pick up and then put their focus and attention on something that they grow to like."

The programme was piloted in August last year with 34 inmates. To date, a total of 58 have participated in CFF.

"When people heard that the chess (grand)master was coming to teach them how to play chess, they got very interested," recalled Rehabilitation Officer (RO) Lim Wee Sionghondawin, who heads the CFF.

Singapore chess grandmaster Kevin Goh (left) and Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim addressing inmate participants. (Photo: Singapore Prison Service)

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