“I am equal to any sighted person on a chess board,” said blind chess player Chris Ross. He will take part in the World Individual Championships next year in Mumbai, India after retaining his title as British Champion. Ross competed in his first World Championship for visually impaired players in Turkey in 2002, where he displayed incredible performance, finishing 17th, which was well above his seeded position and just behind the overall winner. “I would say chess is the only game where I can sit down with a sighted person and play on a level playing field. It is mind against mind,” said Ross. Visually impaired players use a specially adapted board with raised black squares, a nail on the top of the black pieces and peg holes in the board to keep the pieces in place. Chris, who teaches language at the St Peter's School in Huntingdon, lost his sight at the age of nine, because of illness. He learnt to play chess from his brother.