A chance to play chess in the laps of Himalaya!

by Sagar Shah - 05/04/2018

It's just one week away, but Nepal is not too far! Inspired by India's progress in chess, Nepal is organizing a pretty big FIDE rating event from the 12-17 of April with a total prize fund of Rs.10 lakh Nepalese rupees, which roughly translates to 6.2 lakh Indian rupees (10,000 USD). The best part about the event is that it is located in an extremely quiet resort which has greenery, fresh air and is the perfect destination to play chess. The tournament has already garnered 143 players with 12 GMs and 11 IMs from 15 different countries. Don't miss out this opportunity to play in a fine tournament, experience unadulterated beauty and fight against some super strong players.

Kathmandu International 2018 in Nepal welcomes you

Nepal is not very well known for its chess. It doesn't have a titled player yet. But the Nepal Chess Federation has decided to change the scene! They are organizing the Kathmandu Open International GM tournament 2018 which is the biggest ever tournament ever to take place in the country. The prize fund is pretty good (6.2 lakh INR, roughly 10,000 USD) and it has attracted some of the best players in the world with 11 GMs and 12 IMs already having confirmed their participation.

Starting Rank

No.		Name	FideID	FED	RtgI	sex
1	GM	Volkov Sergey	4122763	RUS	2598
2	GM	Sandipan Chanda	5004225	IND	2579
3	GM	Sengupta Deep	5008352	IND	2579
4	GM	Vaibhav Suri	5045185	IND	2556
5	GM	Kiriakov Petr	4119231	RUS	2520
6	GM	Mirzoev Azer	13400304	AZE	2504
7	GM	Greenfeld Alon	2800039	ISR	2490
8	GM	Kasparov Sergey	13500481	BLR	2462
9	IM	Das Arghyadip	5003610	IND	2444
10	IM	Harsha Bharathakoti	5078776	IND	2424
11	IM	Llaneza Vega Marcos	2253585	ESP	2422
12	IM	Gusain Himal	5033861	IND	2413
13	IM	Prince Bajaj	5045150	IND	2409
14	IM	Sardana Rishi	25004301	AUS	2407
15	GM	Murshed Niaz	10200010	BAN	2403
16	FM	Rajdeep Sarkar	25007963	IND	2393
17	GM	Sriram Jha	5001668	IND	2392
18	GM	Fominyh Alexander	4100590	RUS	2391
19	IM	Shyaamnikhil P	5024218	IND	2385
20		Kaustuv Kundu	5056900	IND	2381

Complete list

When was the last time you saw top players Sandipan Chanda, Deep Sengupta and Vaibhav Suri playing together in an Indian event!

The schedule of the tournament. Round one begins on the 13th of April.

The first prize is Rs.2,00,000 Nepalese Rupees, which roughly translates to Rs.1,24,000 Indian rupees

There are many special prizes for different categories

Of course having a strong field and good prize money is a big attraction for any player, but more than that have a look at the place where the tournament is going to be held:

The Park Village Hotel and Resort where the tournament will be held

Earlier the tournament was to be held in the Godavari Village Hotel Resort, but now it has been changed to this location. According to the organizers, this property is much better!

Nothing like having a nice breakfast, with a pool in front of you and the mountains in the background!

World class ambience!

Chess is everywhere!

The double room is spacious and has all the facilities

As mentioned by the organizers, "Due to overwhelming response, the triple rooms are now not available. Only double rooms are available. All those who are interested can contact us for the stay. The cost will be USD 225 for the entire tournament per person."

Tournament Director: Bidur Prasad Gautam, IA (Senior Vice President, NCA)

Email: arbiter.bidur@gmail.com

Mobile: +977 – 9841318277

Prakash Adhikari, President, HSCN

Mobile: 9851014919

Sanjeev Pudasaini, Secretary, HSCN

9851075294

IA Umesh KC, correspondent and registration incharge, and contact via Whatsapp:

+977-9851054329

The good news is that the chief sponsor of the event KNP Japan has agreed to hold the Kathmandu International for the next two years as well.

Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd (KNPL), a subsidiary of Kansai Paints Company Ltd, Japan, commenced its operations in Nepal under the brand name Kansai Paints Nepal Pvt Ltd. Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd (KNPL) had acquired 68 per cent stake in Nepal Shalimar last year. Kansai Paints Nepal Pvt Ltd would be utilizing the manufacturing set-up of Nepal Shalimar to manufacture Nerolac range of products that are currently exported to Nepal.

Unprecendented support for Nepal Chess by KNP Japan

The key people who made this tournament happen!

For all those who like adventure and think that the tournament is in a very peaceful locale and not to your taste, here's something for you:

Paragliding!

The Pashupatinath Temple is a famous and sacred Hindu temple complex that is located on the banks of the Bagmati River, approximately 5 kilometres north-east of Kathmandu in the eastern part of Kathmandu Valley, the capital of Nepal. The temple serves as the seat of Nepal’s national deity, Lord Pashupatinath. This temple complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites's list in 1979.

Nepal is taking giant steps towards boosting the game of chess in their country. We, as Indians, should definitely try to support this positive development. If you are not playing in any event during the 12th-17th of April and if you are looking for a short vacation with some high quality chess opposition, then the Kathmandu International 2018 is the tournament for you!

In case you are worried about your travel logistics, just contact ChessBase India Power. We will do all the travel bookings for you at the best possible prices.

Hotline and Whatsapp: 09106908500 (10 a.m to 8 p.m.)

Email: accommodations@chessbase.in