Nala the Builder

Who Nala the Builder is

Nala was a vanara of Sugriva's army, said to be the son of Vishvakarma, the architect of the gods, and to have inherited his father's skill. When the army reached the southern ocean, the god of the sea told Rama that Nala could build a bridge over the waters. Under his direction the vanaras hauled trees and boulders, and in five days built the great causeway to Lanka, a hundred leagues long, over which the army crossed.

“Stone by stone, I build. Watch what rises across this board.”

How Nala the Builder plays chess

A builder: constructs a pawn chain piece by piece and marches his army across it.

The Classicist: Sound, balanced chess: develops, castles and takes what the position offers.

Opening repertoire: French, Advance (Main) · King's Indian, Bayonet · Stonewall (White)

Defeat Nala the Builder in a full game from the normal starting position to earn the achievement The Causeway Breached and open the way to the next guardian.

Sources

• Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda

Placement on the path reflects chess difficulty only — a game-design choice, not a ranking of anyone's spiritual standing.