Famous blind chess players: from Sandrin to the IBCA champions

The most historically well-known blind chess player is the American Albert Sandrin Jr. (1923-2004), winner of the US Open in 1949. More recently, the Indian Darpan Inani, blind since the age of three, won two gold medals at the 2023 Asian Para Games. Take care not to confuse them with sighted players who play "blindfold".

Albert Sandrin Jr. (1923-2004)

Albert Sandrin Jr. was born on 25 April 1923 and died on 12 February 2004, aged 80. An earlier version of this page gave the dates as "1923-1904", which is impossible; the correct dates come from his biography. An American master, he won the 1949 US Open in Omaha (Nebraska), the 50th edition, with a score of 10 out of 12, ahead of players such as Larry Evans and Arthur Bisguier. He was already almost totally blind in 1949: affected by retinitis pigmentosa, he gradually lost his sight. He trained as a piano tuner at the Marshall School for the Blind from 1952. After the founding of the IBCA, he represented the United States at world championships for the blind.

Sources: US Chess Federation biography, chessgames.com and Wikipedia.

Darpan Inani (born 1994)

Darpan Inani was born on 14 February 1994 in Udaipur, India. Stevens-Johnson syndrome caused him to lose his sight at the age of three. Career highlights:

• bronze medal at the World Junior Championship for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Belgrade in September 2013;
• individual bronze medal on board 3 at the Olympiad for the Visually Impaired in Rhodes in October 2021;
• double gold medal (individual and team) at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in October 2023;
• best FIDE rating: 2135 in January 2020, the highest attained by a visually impaired Indian player as of January 2024 according to Wikipedia.

Sources: Wikipedia and ChessBase India reports. The sources differ on certain distinctions, notably a prize at the Créon open in France in 2018, which we therefore do not detail.

IBCA champions

The IBCA website (consulted in October 2026) highlights its most recent champions: the Montenegrin Predrag Nikač in the individual event, the Ukrainian Woman International Master (WIM) Lubov Zsiltzova-Lisenko in the women's event and the Pole Adam Czajkowski in the junior event; Poland is cited there as the winner of the latest team world championship. The years are not specified on the home page: for a dated record, consult the tournament reports section of the IBCA website directly. We prefer not to draw up a complete list of champions, as no exhaustive verifiable sources are available.

What these careers show

• A blind player can beat sighted players in competitions open to all, as Sandrin did in 1949.
• Tactile equipment, Braille notation and an adapted clock make competition possible.
• Specific competitions (IBCA, Asian Para Games) offer titles and recognition.

Chess is also a tool for personal development for players of all levels: Le Palais des Échecs details what chess brings to the mind. To learn more about equipment, see the tactile chessboard.