PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Sept 8: Over 120 chess players from seven countries will take part in Tata Steel Asian Junior Open and Girls Championship 2023 at the JRD Tata Steel Complex in Jamshedpur from today.
The championship was declared open by the Indian Chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand and Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President of Corporate Services, Tata Steel last evening.
The matches of the coveted championship will take place between September 8 to 15 at JRD Tata Sports Complex.
A total of 121 players from seven countries will participate, which includes 58 girls and 63 boys.
The countries include Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Russia, Indonesia, Nepal and India.
This vibrant international presence will add a layer of diversity and competitiveness to the championship.
The championship consists of two categories – the Asian Junior Open (Boys and Girls) and the Asian Girls Chess Championship.
This dual structure ensures that players of all genders have an equal opportunity to shine. The Championship is divided into three categories: Classic, Rapid and Blitz. The championships are organized as a round-robin or Swiss system tournament depending on the number of participants.
The winners of the open and girls championships earn the right to participate in the next year’s World Junior Chess Championship.
Lauding the efforts of Tata Steel towards the development of Chess in India and abroad, Viswanathan Anand said, “Chess as a game is progressing in India and around the globe. From being amateurs at the world stage to scaling top spots in grand tournaments, we have come a long way. The bond with Tata Steel has been long and one to cherish. We have all come of age through Asian Junior Chess Championships and this will be yet another opportunity for the young minds to make bold moves in chess.”
Speaking on the occasion, Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President, Tata Steel said, “Tata Steel’s journey with chess began more than three decades ago, underlining the company’s commitment to promote intellectual pursuits and strategic thinking. The Tata Steel Asian Junior Open and Girls Chess Championship 2023 is yet another testament to Jamshedpur’s metamorphosis into an upcoming sporting hub. Sports has always been a way of life for us at Tata Steel and such cross-cultural interactions will add newer facets to the game of chess.”
Significantly, for the first time, a chess championship of this scale is being hosted in the eastern state of Jharkhand.
