Press Conference Highlights: U-7 National Chess Championship Returns to Nagpur After 21 Years

Nagpur Welcomes 465 Young Chess Prodigies for a Five-Day Tournament
The 39th National U-7 Open and Girls Chess Championship kicks off at GH Raisoni Institute, featuring top talent from across India.

Nagpur Welcomes Young Chess Prodigies for U-7 National Championship After 21 Years

Nagpur, Maharashtra – The city of Nagpur is set to witness a remarkable resurgence in the world of chess as it hosts the 39th National U-7 Open and Girls Chess Championship, marking the event’s return after a 21-year hiatus. The tournament will kick off on Tuesday at the GH Raisoni Institute of Engineering and Technology (GHRIET), located on the Wadi-Hingna Link Road, and will run for five exciting days.

During a press conference held on Monday, members of the organizing committee expressed their enthusiasm for the event, which will see 465 young chess prodigies from across the country competing on the iconic 64 squares. The championship aims to select the Indian contingent for the upcoming U-7 Asian and U-8 World Championships.

Tournament director and Maharashtra Chess Association (MCA) secretary, Niranjan Godbole, shared insights into the event’s significance. “The nine-round tournament in both the open and girls’ categories has garnered tremendous interest in Nagpur. Future chess stars from 20 states will showcase their talent over the next five days, with 76 players hailing from Maharashtra alone,” he stated.

Local talent will also be on display, with 15 players from Nagpur—eight boys and seven girls—eager to leverage their home advantage. The stakes are high, as the winners in both categories will walk away with a prize of ₹50,000, while the top 20 finishers will receive trophies and cash rewards.

The tournament will be inaugurated by Women’s World Cup winner Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh on Tuesday morning, adding a touch of prestige to the event.

A Competitive Field Awaits

The competition is fierce, with 62 international-rated players among the participants. Telangana’s Lavik Ram Vislavath, boasting an ELo of 1591, and West Bengal’s Udhriti Bhattacharya, rated at 1529, will lead the charge as the top seeds in the open and girls’ sections, respectively.

In the open category, Lavik is closely followed by Karnataka’s B Bhat Sathwik (1582) and Andhra Pradesh’s Dharmik Panchakatla (1563). Meanwhile, Udhriti is challenged by Delhi’s Aarini Lahoty (1525) and Aaditri Majumdar of West Bengal (1521) in the girls’ group. Notably, Maharashtra’s Liyaa Krishnan, rated at 1433, will spearhead the local challenge as the eighth seed.

A Collaborative Effort

The championship is being organized collaboratively by the Maharashtra Chess Association, Chess Association Nagpur, and the GH Raisoni Sports and Cultural Foundation, under the aegis of the All India Chess Federation (AICF). The press conference also featured insights from deputy chief arbiter IA P Palaniappan, along with representatives from the Raisoni Group and other officials.

As the chess pieces are set to move, the excitement in Nagpur is palpable. The U-7 National Chess Championship promises to be a thrilling showcase of talent, strategy, and the spirit of competition, paving the way for the next generation of chess champions.