The biggest challenge in organising chess-solving events is finding the right people on the ground who believe in the mission of popularising this often-overlooked facet of chess and are willing to take responsibility for securing venues, coordinating registrations, managing logistics, and ensuring that everything runs smoothly. Chess Coffee Connect has been a wonderful partner in this endeavour, bringing enthusiasm, commitment, and hands-on support to the effort of taking chess composition to a wider audience.
On October 10, ChessBase India organised its third chess-solving event in the National Capital Region in collaboration with Chess Coffee Connect. It was a particularly challenging day to organise such an event, with travel restrictions announced at very short notice across New Delhi. Yet, the team rose to the occasion, and around 45 participants turned up across the venues making the event a success despite the circumstances.
Noida–Delhi: Chess Solving Takes Centre Stage
The larger of the two events took place in Noida–Delhi, where chess solving was the centrepiece of the programme. Participants competed in two categories — Open and Under-13 — putting their problem-solving skills to the test. After an intense session of analysing chess compositions, participants switched gears for a 10+0 rapid tournament, rounding off the solving competition with some over-the-board action.
The Open category featured eight positions, comprising five chess problems and three endgame studies, testing participants’ skills across different facets of chess solving. Topping the field was 2010-born Shubhi Gupta, who has been making waves with her recent performances and steadily rising profile in the chess world. Scoring an impressive 28 out of 40 points, Shubhi finished ahead of Ashish Arora and Shahid Ansari, who put up strong performances of their own with 25 and 24 points, respectively.
The winners performed particularly well on the two-movers and the winning endgames. However, No. 7 and No. 5 proved to be the toughest nuts to crack, stumping every participant. Check out the full result here.
Category 2 featured six positions to be solved in 120 minutes. With many of the participants being very young, including a five-year-old, the exercises proved challenging for much of the field. Nevertheless, Devansh Srivastava and Rudransh Srivastava stood out with impressive performances, each scoring 20 out of 30 points.
Gurgaon: Rapid Chess Takes Centre Stage, Followed by Chess Solving
In Gurgaon, the focus was on over-the-board action, with a 25+5 rapid tournament taking centre stage. The games were followed by a chess-solving contest in two categories — Open and Under-14 — bringing together two distinct yet closely connected worlds of chess: practical play over the board and the art of chess composition. It was a fitting bridge between the two, challenging participants to switch from competing against an opponent to finding solutions hidden within carefully crafted positions.
In Category 1, Nayatik Sethi and Advik Chauhan shared the honours, both scoring 20 points to take the joint first/second prize. Category 2: Kavya Chakraborty claimed the sole first prize with an impressive 20 points, finishing ahead of Shubhi Gupta, who scored 10. And yes, there was a second Shubhi Gupta in Gurgaon.
A Big Thanks To Chess Coffee Connect
Organising events across multiple venues in West Delhi, South Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon is no small undertaking. It takes a committed group willing to put in the hours on the ground, and the entire Chess Coffee Connect crew deserves all the appreciation for their dedication and sincerity. And it is especially heartening to see a largely women-led initiative making such a meaningful contribution to the chess community.
With offline events organised every week, alongside online tournaments that players can join from the comfort of their homes, Chess Coffee Connect continues to create regular opportunities for players to compete, connect and improve their game. Its reach is now extending beyond NCR, with its activities and initiatives making their way to other cities as well.
If you’re based in Delhi NCR and love chess — whether you’re just starting out or are already a seasoned player — consider connecting with Chess Coffee Connect. With an active presence across social media and a calendar full of chess activities, there’s always an opportunity to meet fellow enthusiasts, play, learn and be part of a growing chess community!
