Mind Champions Challenge 3rd Edition

Over the years, the Phoenix ChessBase India Chess Club has hosted many events and welcomed players from all walks of life. One such meaningful initiative is the Mind Champions Challenge, a special tournament for visually impaired chess players that has been held here regularly since 2023. The Lions Club of Bombay Uptown has consistently supported visually impaired players, and this tournament is a natural extension of that long-standing commitment. The 3rd edition of the event was organised on 21st February 2026 at the Phoenix ChessBase India Club, Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla. The tournament was sponsored by the Lions Club and held in association with the All India Chess Federation for the Blind, ChessBase India, and Phoenix Marketcity Mall.

A picture that shows us chess is played with the mind, not the eyes.

Around 36 players took part in the event. The tournament began at 11 AM and featured five rounds played over the course of the day. It turned out to be a wonderful experience for the players, organisers, volunteers, and everyone involved.

Did you know that visually impaired players use a special chess board? A braille chess board features raised black squares and pegged pieces. This allows players to feel the position clearly and keep the pieces stable during play.

Top finishers

Rohit Jadhav (1738), Champion of the tournament who scored 4.5/5. He won the cash prize of Rs. 10,000.

Swapnil Shah (1725), secured the first runner-up position with 4/5 score. He took home Rs. 8,000.

Gaurav Khetre (1701), finished as second runner-up, also scoring 4/5 points. He received Rs. 6,000 as a cash prize.

Sagar Shah with the top three finishers.

Jayshree Shah and Dharmen Shah presenting the certificate and goodies bag to a player.

Final standings:

Rank

Last name

Rating

Points

1

Rohit, Atmaram Jadhav

1738

4.5

2

Swapnil, Shah

1725

4

3

Khetre, Gaurav

1701

4

4

Shivam, Sabbath

1610

4

5

Kakade, Atul

1660

4

6

Bagayatkar, Madan

1633

3.5

7

Sarita, Prabhakar Karde

1543

3.5

8

Patil, Shirish

1741

3.5

9

Vikas, Shitole

1517

3.5

10

Suryakant, Raut

1535

3.5

Check the full list here.

To make the experience comfortable and enjoyable for everyone, all players and guests received goodie bags, and meals were arranged for all participants.