More Than a Competition: ITB’86’s Bidak Ganesha Fosters a Generation of Chess Players with Integrity Through a Festival Concept

By Muhammad Hanif Darmawan - Mahasiswa Teknik Pertambangan, 2021

Editor M. Naufal Hafizh, S.S.

BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - The 1986 alumni cohort of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB’86) successfully held the 5th Bidak Ganesha National Student Chess Championship at the West Hall of ITB, Bandung, on Sunday, September 7, 2025. The event, attended by 420 young chess players, reaffirmed its position as a unique competition that blends high-standard competition with a festival atmosphere for one noble goal: to cultivate a generation of chess players with integrity.

Unlike typical chess tournaments, which often follow a "come, compete, and go home" concept, Bidak Ganesha is designed to provide a comprehensive experience. The Chief Executive, Bayu Hanggoro, explained that the committee intentionally created a comfortable festival atmosphere for participants and their companions. "We create a happy atmosphere, we prepare bazaar tents, an entertainment stage, superheroes, and the 'si BG' mascot to entertain the children," he said.

The tournament applies special categories based on school level (Preschool/Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High, Senior High), separated for boys and girls, rather than the standard age categories of the All Indonesia Chess Association (Percasi). "We feel we should look at it from the student-level structure. We do this so the children can take pride in this being their championship," explained Bayu Hanggoro in an interview.

With the tagline "Future world-class chess players," Bidak Ganesha's mission extends far beyond simply finding a winner. The event aims to instill a foundation of mentality, sportsmanship, and honesty from an early age. "What we are instilling is their mentality. We want them to uphold sportsmanship," Bayu explained regarding the motivation behind focusing on student categories.

This vision was well-received by the ITB leadership. The Vice-Rector for Finance, Planning, and Development, Prof. Ir. Agus Jatnika Effendi, Ph.D, stated that the event is very much in line with ITB's vision. "One of ITB's most important visions is character development. God willing, what our friends from '86 are doing today will make the youngsters here even greater," he remarked while opening the event.

The success of Bidak Ganesha was also reflected in the extraordinary public enthusiasm. According to Bayu, more than 400 registration tickets were sold out within hours of being opened. The strength of a solid community was the main key to the event's publicity.


Collaboration was another key to success. ITB’86 actively involved the ITB Student Chess Unit (Percama) as the supporting team on the ground. This involvement, which began in 2023 under the direction of the Directorate of Alumni Relations, created a positive synergy between alumni and active students. "The Bidak Ganesha tournament is considered a prestigious tournament for students, and it indirectly helps motivate them to enter ITB and join Percama," said Syahid, a representative from Percama ITB.

Seeing the ever-increasing interest, the future of Bidak Ganesha looks bright. A proposal to hold the next event at the more spacious ITB Cirebon Campus has even been put forward by the Chairman of the ITB Alumni Association (IA), Agustin Peranginangin, and is supported by the Vice-Rector, in order to accommodate more participants in the coming years.

#alumni #kompetisi catur #bidak ganesha 5 #kolaborasi #sdg 4 #quality education #sdg 11 #sustainable cities and communities