How a Kerala village beat alcoholism with the game of chess
Today, it holds an Asian record for the highest number of people playing chess simultaneously.
The transformation wasn't driven by policy, policing, or public shame—but by a quiet revolution on a chequered board, started by a teenager with a fascination for Bobby Fischer.
Back in the 1970s, C. Unnikrishnan, now fondly known as 'Chess Maaman,' was just 16 when he discovered the American grandmaster. Hooked instantly, he travelled to nearby towns to learn the Indian precursor
chaturanga
and modern chess.
Years later, he returned to his hometown, which was then drowning in alcoholism, to open a modest teashop. But it wasn't just cups of chai that Unnikrishnan was serving.
He brought with him the board and the game he had grown to love. And as illicit brewing threatened to crush families, he began teaching his customers chess—offering them not just entertainment, but a distraction, a discipline, and ultimately, a lifeline.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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There was little space to play outdoor sports, as there were rubber plantations all around, Unnikrishnan once explained. But since a chessboard fits anywhere, that became our playground, he added.
At the time, the villagers had also formed the Madhya Nirodhana Samiti, a grassroots anti-alcohol movement. With women of the village secretly informing on brewers and gamblers, and Unnikrishnan introducing chess as a replacement high, the change came swiftly and deeply.
Today, chess boards form an integral part of this place. The village bus stop isn't bustling with commuters, but spectators watching roadside matches. Drivers play against conductors before their shifts. Shopkeepers challenge customers between sales. On Sunday evenings, Unnikrishnan's home is filled to the brim with neighbours, shoulders brushing, eyes locked on boards scattered across benches, verandas, and floors.
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A recent local survey revealed that two-thirds of Marottichal's 6,000 residents play chess daily. This renaissance isn't limited to adults. At the local primary school, rows of children huddle over chessboards during recess. Many of them learned the game in under a week and insisted on bringing boards from home to practice. The local association is now pushing for chess to be introduced into the official school curriculum.
Despite Kerala's progressive but often contentious liquor policy, villagers here believe they've found their own solution. The village's commitment has even caught the eye of international visitors, from Germany to the United States, keen to experience this grassroots model of reform. If there is any doubt that technology might erase this culture, you will easily get to see a group of teens absorbed in their devices, only to reveal they're locked in online chess battles.
In Marottichal, the game isn't over. In fact, it's just getting started.
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