Star studded 61st National Championship starts today
The six-time consecutive National Senior champion, GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly is the top seed of 61st National Chess Championship 2024. The former Asian and five-time Commonwealth champion, GM Abhijeet Gupta is a rating twin of Surya. The defending champion, GM Sethuraman S P is the third seed. The reigning National Rapid and Blitz champion, GM Diptayan Ghosh has the rare opportunity to become India's second triple crown champion in history. The winner of 59th edition, GM Karthik Venkataraman will also be seen in action. The reigning Commonwealth champion, GM Mitrabha Guha and India's highest rated IM Aronyak Ghosh will also battle for the coveted title and earn a spot at the next edition of World Cup. Sethuraman is the only Indian to have secured his place in the Open section of next World Cup. Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club
Will we see a new winner or an encore?
A feast for the chess enthusiasts of India and across the globe. The 61st National Chess Championship, a star-studded event will be organised by Haryana Chess Association from 17th to 27th August at the RPS International School, Gurgaon. 19 Grandmasters, 12 international masters and two WGMs will vie for the prestigious national champion title, along with a bonus of mammoth six lacs rupees as the first prize, a part of the 30 lacs prize money.
The top two seeds GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly and GM Abhijeet Gupta from PSPB have the same rating of 2583. The former Asian champion and six times successive national champion Ganguly finished eighth in the 60th edition last year in Pune. Ganguly has the credit and experience of being a second to five times world champion Vishy Anand. He is still a force to reckon with.
A good game by Ganguly
A former National, Asian and five times Commonwealth champion, Abhijeet Gupta was ranked behind Ganguly at the end of the 2023 championship. Abhijeet also won the Capling Hastings Masters 2023 – 24, substantiating his current form.
A fine game by Abhijeet against Vladimir Fedoseev
The reigning National champion and also a winner of the 2014 event, GM Sethuraman S P is seeded behind his two PSPB teammates. The 2016 Asian champion was also a part of the bronze medal winning Indian team in the Tromso Olympiad 2014. His current form by winning the 39th Cappelle la Grande Open 2023 in France recently may be an advantage to him.
Among the top twelve players in the fray, four are from PSPB, five from RSPB, one each from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. GM Diptayan Ghosh heads the list of Railways players as the fourth seed of the championship. An Asian Youth gold medallist in unde-10 and 12 categories, Diptayan also has won the same colour medal in the World Youth championship, as a part of the Indian team. Diptayan has the rare honour of completing the triple crown after winning the rapid and blitz national championships earlier this year in Nashik, Maharashtra.
GM Karthik Venkataraman of Andhra Pradesh, winner of the 59th edition of the national championship is the fifth seeded player, this year. The chess fans may not forget Karthik's game against Hikaru Nakamura in the World Cup 2023.
Sixth seeded Pa Iniyan, the Grandmaster from Tamil Nadu has an unforgettable joint first finish in the Dubai Open 2019. Equally unforgettable is his performance of 7.5/8 on the fourth board in the World Youth Olympiad 2017 for the Indian Green team in Ahmedabad.
The 71st Indian grandmaster Sankalp Gupta of Maharashtra is the seventh seed of the tournament. His recent capture of the title in the 20th Bois-Colombes Master Open A 2023 with an undefeated score of 8/9 indicated that he is in fine nick.
The reigning Commonwealth Gold medalist, GM Mitrabha Guha of Railways is seeded eighth in the National championship.
Mitrabha’s Railways teammate and West Bengal statemate IM Aronyak Ghosh is the highest rated International Master in India and he is seeded ninth. The newly crowned 36th All India Inter Railway individual champion and also the winner of the LBHM 2024 tournament at Pune has the potential to beat any top player on his day.
India's first and only Grandmaster brothers - Vignesh and Visakh N R of Railways are seeded tenth and eleventh.
The championship will be held at the RPS International School, Gurgaon.
The total prize fund is ₹30 lacs.
| Rank | Amount |
| 1 | 600000 |
| 2 | 500000 |
| 3 | 400000 |
| 4 | 300000 |
| 5 | 250000 |
| 6 | 250000 |
| 7 | 200000 |
| 8 | 200000 |
| 9 | 150000 |
| 10 | 150000 |
Number of rounds: eleven and daily one round.
Time control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves and 30 minutes for the remaining game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one.
Round 1 pairings
About the Author
Prof. Rathinam Anantharam is an A-grade international arbiter. Member of FIDE Arbiters’ Commission, Chairman of Titles Commission in All India Chess Federation, Vice President of Tamil Nadu State Chess Association, Chief Arbiter for six world championships, many Asian, International and National Championships.
The report was edited by Shahid Ahmed
