PONDA: The All India Chess Federation is one of the few Asian chess federations to conduct chess championships for school students for the last three years and this year, the National school championship will be organized in Goa in association with Goa Chess Association. The announcement came at a press briefing by the organisers, here, on Wednesday.
The event will be conducted under the chairmanship of Vinay Tendulkar, President of Goa Chess Association and President of Goa BJP; Yashwant Tawde, Director of DSYA, who is the Tournament Director; Sagar Sakordekar, Co-Director; Ramdas Sawant, Deputy Director; Kishor Bandekar, Organising Secretary and Sharendra Naik and Satywan Harmalkar are Deputy Joint Organising Secretaries to co-ordinate various age categories and National Blitz rating championship.
Vinay Tendulkar said, “To promote the chess in school students, All India Chess Federation mutated the idea of having National school championship so that the selected players can participate at the Asian School Championship and World school Championship.”
This is a non rating tournament as it will be played by small school children having constrained of following FIDE rules and regulations. However, for the benefit of Goan players and visiting players, Goa Chess Association has organised Open Blitz Rating Tournament which will be played on January 29 and 30 with seven rounds.
This will benefit the Goan and other players to achieve the rating in blitz tournament which is being conducted by the association for the first time in Goa.
The championship was held in Delhi in last year.
The championship will be played in 14 categories: under-5, under-7, under-9, under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-17, open category and girl’s categories.
Only Indian school students who are registered with AICF and with the consent from their State associations are eligible to participate.
Last year, around 536 students in various categories participated and the number is expected to rise for this edition.
This tournament is being organised at Sungrace Garden hall, Bethora, Ponda considering the facilities available in Ponda and beautiful surrounding areas with temples and churches, Doodh Sagar, Tambdi Surla temple and other tourist interest places.
The tournament will commence on January 29 with the inauguration at 9 a.m. There will be total nine rounds, three rounds each on one day and will conclude on January 31 with the prize distribution at 6 p.m.
