2026 - RMH - A Journey to Meet Yourself
It was a chilly evening on November 21st, 2025, when my dad was driving me to the biggest Ronald McDonald House in the USA, located in Columbus, Ohio, to discuss chess as a volunteering opportunity. I was a bit nervous, even though I had a lot of coaching hours under my belt from teaching kids from Tanzania and Uganda, because here I would be meeting people who were there because of unfortunate reasons.
I was asking myself if I was emotionally equipped to manage such encounters, and the hows and whys were rhyming in my head.
When we met the team, they were very welcoming, and they patiently listened to why I loved chess and why I thought it was a good idea to spread the love of chess to the people and children residing in the home. I wanted to help take their minds off their current struggles and let them travel to a world of puzzles and riddles, which could provide some relief from what they were going through.
I could feel that I was not fully convincing them, and it became apparent when they said they liked my passion but were not sure if it would be reciprocated by the residents. However, they liked my vision and passion and agreed to give it a try. They offered a weekly evening slot, and we happily took the chance, but in my mind, I was still not very convinced that I would make any difference.
The lady was so nice that she offered my family and me a tour of RMH, and that was when she proudly mentioned that this was the largest RMH in the country. We had agreed to start the sessions in January 2026.
Welcome 2026
On the first day, when I walked in with my green chess tournament bag on my shoulders, we went to the reception and mentioned why we were there. They asked us to wait. The lady who managed the volunteering event showed us where we could set up, which was in their dining area.
My parents took a table in the area aside and started setting it up with a satin tablecloth and table posters explaining what the event was. I was very curious about how things would proceed and whether anyone would come to play with me.
The conflicting thoughts in my mind were set aside when I heard an RMH announcement stating that a Chess Champion was in their dining area and that anyone could come to challenge or learn. That announcement suddenly made me feel responsible, and I felt that I had to leave my insecurities behind because I was in a place where just having a healthy life may be one of the biggest rewards of life, so nothing else mattered.
When I completed the chessboard setup, I just sat and waited.
My First Game
After 15 minutes, a gentleman walked over to my table and asked if I would like to play a game with him. The games went on for the rest of my time that evening, and we kept discussing the moves and strategies after each game.
My parents asked their permission for pictures, and they were very happy and allowed it. They also explained that one of their twins was in Nationwide for some time and going through treatment while the other twin waited. He mentioned that he loved playing chess, and when he saw me, it reminded him of his childhood.
The transformation had begun for my soul. I realized that I could take his mind off the current situation and make him travel with me to the world of chess for more than 45 minutes. He shook my hand and left the dining hall, and I had to pack up because the time was over.
While walking back to my dad’s car, I realized I had changed a bit, and my understanding of life had matured.
And the Games Just Followed
Showing up every week is challenging with all the homework, olympiads, and chess tournaments, but what kept me going was the desire to extend my support in my chess language to families going through possibly the toughest times of their lives.
To my surprise, on some days there were queues to play with me, and there were kids, a lot of kids, who wanted to play chess. Some kids would wait for me for a week just to play with me. Sometimes, moms would come to me and explain how their kids loved chess or were on their school chess team.
The love of chess was making its way into RMH.
The Path Forward
Every evening that I spend time at RMH, I get to meet people and children who keep me inspired by letting me be a small part of their journey and by allowing me to bring chess into their lives.
It has been about four months, and RMH informed us that they received feedback that residents loved the chess activity at RMH. From a tryout to a well formed activity, the journey has been a very satisfying one.
RMH will be the most enriching experience in my chess journey.
