62nd National Chess Championship to be held in Guntur

The 62nd National Chess Championship will be held at Vignan University, Guntur, from September 20 to October 1. Top Grandmasters, Women International Masters, and rising stars will compete, with top finishers earning berths to the Chess World Cup.

Hyderabad: The prestigious 62nd edition of the National chess championship will be held at Vignan University in Guntur from September 20 to October 1 featuring some of India’s finest ever Grandmasters.

A major highlight of the championship will be the participation of leading title-holders, including Women International Masters, Women Grandmasters, International Masters, and Grandmasters, who will display their skills in this high-profile tournament.

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“This championship will serve as a historic milestone in the growth of chess in Andhra Pradesh and will open up new opportunities for the state’s talented players to shine at the national level,” KVV Sarma, Advisor to Andhra Chess Association, said.

In this regard, Justice Mr. P. Sri Narasimha, Judge of Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of High Court of Andhra Pradesh Mr. Dhiraj Singh Thakur, released a logo in the presence of Justice (Retd) D.V.V.S. Somayajulu, Prof d. Surya Prakash Rao, VC, DSNLU, A. Suresh, president of Andhra Chess Association and the Chief Advisor K.V.V.Sarma.

“Interestingly, Eluru hosted the first Nationals in 1955 with Ramachandra Sapre and Dharbha Venkayya being the joint-winners. Through the 60s to 80s, the national championship title helped launch India’s first IMs and GMs and also laid the platform for the five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand’s rise in the late 80s” ACA President A. Suresh said.

A short look back

First championship: 1955 (Eluru, Andhra Pradesh); winners: Ramchandra Sapre & Dharbha Venkayya (joint).

For the record, Manuel Aaron was a record nine-times champion and widely regarded as a pioneer of modern chess while GM and renowned coach Praveen Thipsay won the title seven times followed by GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly six times in a row which is a record. And, Anand won three consecutive National titles between 1986-88.

Andhra’s very own GM M.R. Lalit Babu was the 2017 National champion and Telangana’s Arjun Erigaisi the 2022 champion.

“In the current cycle, the top four finishers at Nationals (men & women) earn berths in the Chess World Cup (and Women’s World Cup). The World Cup is the global knockout that awards Candidates Tournament spots, the final gateway to a World Championship match,” Sarma said.

“Also, strong finishes at Nationals weigh in AICF selections and invitations for major events and training camps, alongside FIDE rating and international results,” he said.

“By all means, it remains the strongest All India classical chess event showcasing the stars and also the emerging talent and invariably serves as a selection and qualification hub for India’s representation on the world stage,” Sarma said.