Chess addicts in the city swear by the club inside Gorky Sadan, on the busy arterial AJC Bose Road. Inside, a statue of Maxim Gorky adorned with flowers greets you as you walk into the foyer area. Outside in the lobby area, a roomful of children can be found checkmating each other at the Alekhine Chess Club, which was formed in 1976.
A large auditorium holds events and films screened under the aegis of the Eisenstein Cine Club. Mrinal Sen and Satyajit Ray were members. Gautam Ghosh, the man who has been running both clubs for decades now, is found of reminiscing about the old days. “Sen had a great relationship with Soviet Russia. In fact, if he had been well, he would have spoken about Kolkata’s Russian connections. President Vladimir Putin had honoured him with the Order of Friendship in 2000.”