Inaugural Birsa Munda Chess Competition in Gamharia

Mail News Service

Gamharia: The Seraikela-Kharsawan District Chess Association is set to host the first-ever Birsa Munda All India Open FIDE Rapid and Blitz Rating Chess Competition in Gamharia on October 26 and 27. This landmark event will feature renowned chess players, including Bengal’s Grand Master Commonwealth Champion Mitra Guha, Grandmaster Shaptashree Roy Choudhary, and Jharkhand’s only International Master Neeraj Kumar Mishra, making a return to Jharkhand’s chess scene after a 13-year hiatus.

During a press conference held in Gamharia, Nand Kumar Singh, patron of the association, announced that approximately 300 players from nine states will participate, with around 140 rated players among them, promising an exhilarating competition. The total prize money for the championship is set at Rs 3 lakh, with Rs 2 lakh allocated for the Rapid category and Rs 1 lakh for the Blitz category. Additionally, players across various age groups will compete for a total of 64 trophies, and all participants will receive certificates.

The primary aim of this competition is to familiarize players with the rapid and blitz formats while allowing them to gain experience against stronger opponents ahead of the National Blitz and Rapid Tournament scheduled in Jharkhand for February next year.

The competition will be inaugurated by Adityapur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ravi Prakash and Additional Municipal Commissioner Parul Singh. Notably, the games played on the top 10 boards will be broadcast live on the World Chess Federation’s website.

International Arbiter Vishal Kumar Minj will serve as the chief judge, with FIDE Arbiter Anish Ansari managing the live board operations. Deputy Chief Arbiter Vikram Kumar, alongside six other arbiters, will assist in the technical aspects of the event. The press conference also saw the presence of Association President Manoj Kumar, Vice President Shailendra Kumar, and other key officials, all contributing to the organization of this prestigious event.