HYDERABAD: Perhaps for the first time in the city, upcoming chess players from across the country devised a unique way to promote their sport, as well as raise money for the PMCares Fund simultaneously. 1 International Grandmaster, 7 International masters, many national chess champions, players and enthusiasts have come together to host an online chess tournament under the name ‘The Chesster Group’ on Wednesday, April 7.
Thrown open to chess enthusiasts across the country, there was no participation fee. However, participants were requested to donate to the PMCares fund which is raising money to combat the Covid-19pandemic, send a screenshot of it to the organisers - and play on ! The tournament got an enthusiastic response from chess players across the country from Hyderabad, Mumbai and Nagpur) and has seen interest and donations come in from the Immortal Chess Forum, a global chess body, amongst others.
The tournament was hosted on www.Lichess.org ( a global not-for-profit chess platform created to promote chess.) More than 60 people across chess players and enthusiasts have contributed Rs 105,000/- to the cause. Speaking on the occasion, Vedant Panesar ( Age 16 yrs , U 17 National Chess Champion , 2018 ), Adarsh Tripathi, Yash Srivastava (Age 14 and 17), international rated chess players ) , the organisers who ideated this said “We hoped to raise as much as possible and contribute in our small way to our Prime Minister’s cause.”
Vakil Akhtar, their chess coach added that he was proud of the initiative taken by his students to use chess to raise money for a noble cause. Over 80 people participated in the tournament and IM Ravi Teja from Hyderabad, Telangana won the tournament . Prizes were given to around 20 players , which was contributed from the pocket money of the teenage organisers.