When it came to GMs Karnataka had none until 2017. Now they have three. Recently they got their first WIM as well. Things are changing in Karnataka chess, but the biggest strength of the state lies in its youngsters. The number of students in schools who have taken up chess is huge! That's the reason why when the state schools championships was held in Bengaluru on the 16th of November 2019, a one-day event, you saw participation of as many as 534 youngsters! The National Schools held every year, boasts of around 1000 participants. Karnataka already has half the number in its own state! Read this article by Hinduja Reddy to know who were the winners at the event and also know more about the organizers and sponsors. This article also tells you why Karnataka chess is booming in a big way!

Nine rounds of closely contested chess battles at the Akshayakalpa Karnataka State Championship came to a successful end on Sunday. Out of the hard-fought competition, it was 21-year-old Likhit Chilukuri who emerged as the clear champion with 8.5/9 points. Prachura P.P. and Parthasarathy R. followed him closely just half a point behind with 8.0/9 each, finishing second and third respectively. WIM Isha Sharma suffered a shock defeat in the penultimate round in the hands of Jagadish P and ended up finishing fourteenth. Thus, the event didn't turn out to be a memorable one for the top seed. In this final article our author Hinduja Reddy brings you the highlights of all the important moments from the last day of the tournament.

The fourth day of Akshayakalpa Karnataka State Chess Championship also came to a conclusion. As the event is inching towards the end with only two more rounds to go, there are four players who are fighting it out for the top spot. Mr. Ajith Chandy Jose, who is lately representing the state of Karnataka, is an unrated player yet he is grabbing all the eyeballs for being one of the leaders with an incredible score of 6.5/7 points. The sixth round of the tournament was ruffled with an upsetting incident as a player's mobile phone began to ring out loud soon after the games were declared on. Our author Hinduja Reddy, who is currently present in the venue, brings glimpses of all the action and excitement.

The Akshayakalpa Karnataka State Chess Championship is halfway through. The over-the-board battles are slowly getting longer and more intense. At the conclusion of day three seven players have emerged as joint leaders with perfect scores of 5.0/5 points each and they are being followed by as many as fourteen players who are just half a point behind with 4.5/5. Thanks to various initiatives of Akshayakalpa, the tournament has established itself as a zero-plastic sporting event. The authorities have effectively managed to avoid the use of even a single plastic or paper cup. Consequently, the food is being served on steel ware and players are being provided with steel bottles. Hinduja Reddy, our author who is present at the venue, sends an illustrated report.

The second day of Akshayakalpa Karnataka State Chess Championship proved enthralling for more than one reason. The biggest sensation of the day was undoubtedly Nihal Sarin visiting the tournament venue. The 15-year-old Indian prodigy interacted with selected youngsters and also had an exclusive autograph/photograph session with parents and fans. The rounds too had fair share of ups and downs. Top seed and WIM Isha Sharma had to toil hard for more than three hours to clinch victory against her 8-year-old opponent Chinmay Kowshik; while in the same round the second seeded Prachura P Padakannaya was shocked by 1397 rated Prasiddhi Bhat. Our author, Hinduja Reddy, sends an illustrated report from Bengaluru.

The Akshayakalpa Karnataka State Chess Championship started off yesterday at the Silicon City Academy of Secondary Education in Konanakunte, Bengaluru. As expected, the top seeds of the event registered easy victories in the first round against their less experienced opponents. Some of the encounters even lasted for less than twenty moves. The top seed of the event, WIM Isha Sharma, got the better of 11-year-old Akarsh S. Gowda in just fourteen moves; while Prachura P Padakannaya's opponent, Akshat Sharma, stuck to a lost position for three long hours. In this illustrated report Hinduja Reddy brings you the glimpses of first day's action from the venue.

The Akshayakalpa Karnataka State Open FIDE Rating Chess Championship 2019 will be held from the 2nd to 6th of October in the Silicon City Academy of Secondary Education, Konanakunte in Bengaluru. Organized by Innovators Chess Academy and Sponsored by Akshayakalpa, an organic milk and milk product based company in Bengaluru, the tournament has attracted over 500 participants this year. The total prize fund of the event is Rs.3,50,000 and also players finishing in the top four would be selected to represent Karnataka in the prestigious National "A" Chess Championship. Moreover, the event will also feature a one day interactive session with Akshayakalpa's newly minted brand ambassador Nihal Sarin. In this article we bring you all the information you need to know about this exciting tournament that is all set to begin from tomorrow.

It was a fantastic organizational effort by Bangalore North Chess Forum (BNCF) backed by Akshayakalpa, who sponsored the entire Grand Prix series. Seven events were held in Bengaluru which attracted players all across Karnataka. From each tournament 5-6 players qualified for the Grand Finale, which was held on the 17th of February at the BEL Officer's Club. The field consisted of the cream of Karnataka chess - Thejkumar, Girish Koushik and Antonio Viani (Stany was missing). The tournament was won by Gahan MG who played some fantastic chess scoring 6.5/7 and finishing half a point ahead of the field. Second place went to experienced IM Ravi Hegde, while GM Thejkumar was third. Hinduja Reddy, who was present at the venue, sends us a detailed report with pictures, game analysis and videos.

The stage is set for Karnataka’s first Chess Grand-Prix Finale! The Akshayakalpa-BNCF Grand Prix Series features seven qualifier tournaments and one Grand Finale tournament. Over the course of seven qualifier tournaments, which began from 29th July 2018 to 20th January 2019, forty players have gained the right to play in the Grand Finale. These 40 players will now fight at the Grand Prix finale on 17th of February 2019. The first prize is Rs.1,00,000, the second prize is Rs.50,000 and the third is Rs.25,000. The excellent prize money has ensured that all the biggest names of the Karnataka state have qualified for the Grand Prix Finale. Read this curtain raiser report by Hinduja Reddy.

The 17th BNCF-Akshayakalpa Grandprix Final Qualifier was held on 26th Aug 2018 at BEL Officers Club, Jalahalli, Bengaluru. 2nd seeded Yashas D. edged out top seed Gahan M.G with a better tie-break score to emerge triumphant in category-A after both had finished with 6/6 points. In category-B, it was Karnataka State Chess Secretary and former state champion Arvind Shastry who won it with perfect 7/7 score. Below is a pictorial report sent to us by Hinduja Reddy.

Grand Prix (French for "grand prizes") is generally associated with Formula One. It consists of a series of races which are held worldwide. Ultimately the winners of each race qualify for a Grand finale. Since its inception in 1950, F1 Grand Prix Series are watched by millions around the globe. Bangalore North Chess Forum, popularly known as BNCF, has a reputation for its punctuality, effective planning, and great attention to detail for their monthly one-day rapid tournaments. They, in association with Akshayakalpa, have introduced Grand Prix to popularize chess in Karnataka. A series of seven events culminating into a super finals in February!

At the conclusion of the Group A tournament of the Sant Marti Open, Indian chess got richer by yet another Women International Master. This new brand new addition to the Indian league of titled players was the Delhi girl, Vantika Agrawal. Previously, Vantika had scored WIM norms at the IIFL Mumbai Open and Sharjah Open this year. She had also been issued a norm at the Dubai Open 2017, but due to its technical incorrectness, it was not awarded to her. Nevertheless, the 14-year-old fought on and bagged her final WIM norm in the Spanish city of Barcelona to complete all requirements for her title. ChessBase India's Hinduja Reddy interviewed her and her mother, Sangeeta Agrawal, to know more about this teenaged genius.