International Open Chess Tournament Begins in Amaravati

Vijayawada: The International Open Chess Tournament (FIDE Ranking) organized under the aegis of VIT-AP university on Monday was inaugurated by DGP Harish Gupta in Amaravati.

The mega tournament will be held from June 1 to 8, where the grand prize money of Rs.30 lakh will be distributed.

The tournament will be held in two phases and the first phase will be scheduled from June 1 to 5 and Rs.15 lakh will be allocated as prize money. The second phase will be held between June 6-8 for unrated players under 18 years of age and Rs.15 lakh will be allocated as prize money.

More than 1000 chess players from home and abroad came to the event area.

DGP said this is the first international level tournament to be held in the AP capital under the joint aegis of VIT-AP and Andhra Chess Association. Referring to the Prime Minister’s commitment to develop AP as Swarnandhra Pradesh by 2047 under the ‘Viksit Bharat’ programme, he said the international chess tournament will serve as a symbol for achieving the set targets.

Praising the players, DGP said that they look like future grandmasters who have the capacity to become world champions.

The DGP called for developing a strong ecosystem to promote chess in AP and noted that Amaravati will not only become an administrative capital but also a city of knowledge for future generations.