Chennai inspector carves miniature chessboard using toothpicks

CHENNAI: A police inspector attached to Chennai Police has created a miniature chess board and chess pieces using toothpicks and pencil leads. The whole model could be placed atop a business card.

SA Veerachamy, serving as Inspector (crime), Valasaravakkam told DT Next that making these miniature models using toothpicks and matchsticks is a self-taught hobby, which he has been practising since his school days. “I was inspired by stories in newspapers about people who make such miniature models, ” the inspector said.

The 39-year-old from the Theni district joined Tamil Nadu police as a sub-inspector in 2008.

Despite joining the police force, he has not let go of his passion, which he says has been a great stress buster.

After it was confirmed that Chennai will be hosting the chess Olympiad, Veerachamy decided to commemorate it in his way.

“For about four days, after duty hours, I allotted three hours for this. The chess board’s dimensions are 2.5 x 2.5 cm and chessmen are 2 mm in diameter, ” Veerachamy told DT Next.

Veerachamy’s pursuits have got him appreciation from his peers and senior officers. “The officials take time to hear out the process involved and other details and appreciate. I feel happy then, ” Veerachamy said.

Of the many miniature models he made, Veerachamy said that the one close to his heart is a model of the Taj Mahal he made with matchsticks.

“All professions have stress. More so in policing. I would like to believe I joined the force with a stress buster technique, ” he said. All he needed was a blade and matchsticks and pencil and he carved his therapy.