More than 500 chess players from 15 countries to attend the tournament.
Opportunity for the rated players of the state to improve their rating and get a title, winner to be awarded the Chief Minister trophy.
The Sports and Youth Welfare Department of Chhattisgarh, All India Chess Federation, and Chhattisgarh Olympic Association are jointly organizing the grand event of the International Grand Master Chess Tournament, in which the winner will be awarded the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Trophy.
This tournament is being organized under the guidance and inspiration of the Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
The Chief Minister said while congratulating all the players participating in the tournament that this event will encourage people who play chess and the state players will get an opportunity to showcase their talent on an international level.
In this tournament held in Raipur from 19 September to 28 September, more than 500 chess players from about 15 countries of the world will participate under the guidance of more than 100 experienced masters.
This tournament will host players hailing from various countries of the world. The players belonging to15 countries including Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, U.S.A., Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Poland, Vietnam, Columbia, Iran, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal have already registered.
This tournament will enable rated players from the nation/state to improve their rating, GM/IM Norm, and achieve titles.
In the International Grand Master Chess Tournament, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Winner Trophy will be awarded apart from a cash amount.
This tournament will be held in two categories: Masters and Challengers. An amount of Rs. 23 lakh with a trophy will be awarded in the Masters category while Rs. 12 lakh and a trophy will be given to the winner in the Challengers category. The live telecast of the 50 games under this tournament will be done on a global level so that more and more people can watch the tournament.
The officials in charge of the tournament said that such events are organized very rarely where high-rated players from all over the world will perform on one platform.
Due to the lack of such events, players face difficulties in achieving international titles and they have to travel to European countries. The players have to deal with many economical and mental troubles in such situations. This event is being organized to encourage players and provide a platform for emerging talent.
To participate in the International Grand Master Chess Tournament, 6 Grand Masters, 17 International Masters, 2 Women Grand Masters, 8 Women International Masters, 5 FIDE Masters, and 200 Elo-rated players will reach Chhattisgarh.
Many more players are expected to participate in the tournament. The competition under the Masters category of the tournament will be held in Hotel Imperia while those under the Challengers category will be held in Shagun Farm located on VIP Road.
The Masters competitions will be played in 10 phases, and every day one match will be played from 3 pm.
On the other hand, the Challengers competition will be played in Shagun Farm in two phases daily: one from 9 am, and another from 3 pm. Experienced judges from various states will attend this tournament.