Over Rs.2,00,000 collected for the Blind National A in 24 hours!

In case you missed it, this was the plea for contribution towards National Premier blind that was published on 2nd February 2018.

The Blind National Premier that is going to begin today (3rd of February) in Mumbai had no backers. There were expenses to the tune of  Rs.5,00,000. Apart from HPCL which was ready to contribute Rs.50,000, there were absolutely no sponsors. This was going to be another case where the visually challenged players of our country were going to be neglected. Chess is the only sport where the blind players fight it out with the normal visioned players on equal terms. Yet, the sport is given absolutely no importance. It was about time that things had to change in our country.

ChessBase India called upon the chess community of India to contribute and ensure that the best blind players in our country feel valued. What happened next was simply awe-inspiring! Within 24 hours we received over two lakh rupees from different parts of the country. 2,14,952 to be precise! There were some who were saving money to play in an upcoming tournament, there were some who broke into their savings, there were some who stretched their ends to the limit only so that the blind national premier happens! Ankit Dalal from Gujarat State Association called with the offer to cover all the lodging and boarding expenses if the event was shifted to Ahmedabad. Logistically this was impossible to achieve, but the emotions behind this offer were so positive! One gentleman messaged us saying that the winner of the event will receive a ChessBase 14 from his end! Everyone was thinking how they could contribute in their own way. We thank each one of you for your kind gesture. You have shown that you care about the visually challenged chess players in our country.

The battle is still not over! There is still more money required for the tournament to be fully sponsored. The total amount required is Rs.5,12,000. There is still three lakh rupees more required to fund the event entirely, but there is good hope that this will be possible. If you would like to contribute, hit on the Pay button below:

You can also contribute directly to the bank of AICFB. Here are the bank details:

All India Chess Federation For The Blind

Indian Bank

SB a/c: 415222082

IFSC: IDIB000B027

Address:  Ground floor, United India Building, Sir P. M. Road, Fort Branch, Mumbai – 400001.

with the amount of contribution, your name, address and Permanent Account Number (PAN). These details are mandatory for tax purpose.office@aicfb.in with a copy (cc) to chessbaseindia@gmail.comIf you do make a direct payment to the above-mentioned bank please send a mail to

Let the games begin!

The first round of the premier championship will take place on the 3rd of February at 10.30 a.m. The ChessBase India team reached the venue on 2nd of February to get some of the things in place and give a professional look to the championship.

Starting rank list of players

Pairings for round one:

Live games link will be provided once the games are being broadcast live.

Some facts about blind chess:

1. Kishan Gangoli, the top seed of the tournament has already been the national champion since last four years. This will be his fifth attempt to win the title.

2. Krishna Udupa, Swapnil Shah, Ashvin Makvana have been the national champions in the years 2006, 2000 and 2011 respectively. 

3. India has nearly 200 FIDE rated blind players in the country.

4. All the 14 players were selected from the National Challengers 2017. No one gets a direct seeding into the National Premier, not even the national champion.

5. Top 16 teams of the blind Olympiad qualify for the World Team Championship. This year there will be world team championship (no olympiad). India has qualified for the same because they finished seventh in the 2017 Olympiad. The top five players of this National Premier will qualify for the World Teams that will be held later this year in Bulgaria.

ChessBase India will be bringing some detailed coverage of the event. Stay tuned for all the action. If you are in Mumbai drop in at the Andheri Sports complex tomorrow - Sunday! Here's the schedule to help you plan better:

Playing schedule