BHUBANESWAR: Nine Grand Masters and 24 International Masters from across the world will be converging at the campus of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) here to take part in the first SOA International Grandmasters Chess Festival to be held from January 28 to February 4.
The eight-long day tournament will have a total prize money of Rs 35 lakh. Around 800 chess players from at least 14 different countries are expected to take part in the chess tournament. The participants will be split into three categories — A, B and C with category ‘A’ having a total prize money of Rs 20 lakh. Category ‘B’ and ‘C’ will have prize money of Rs 7.5 lakh each.
Some of the finest chess minds from Denmark, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Belarus, Egypt, Philippines, Russia, Kazakhstan, Zambia, Nepal and hosts India will be taking part in the tournament. The top three seeded players of the tournament are Indian Grandmaster Diptayan Ghosh (2568 ELO Points), Indian International Master Aronyak Ghosh (2541 ELO Points) and Grandmaster Fawzy Adham of Egypt (2522 ELOPoints).
The top three women players to have entered the event are WGM Frayna J. Mae of Philippines (2197 ELO Points), WIM Arpita Mukherjee of India (2186 ELO Points) and Woman FIDE Master Nilssen E. Federica of Denmark (2184 ELO Points). The tournament is being organised by the All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA) with SOA’s support.