Global chess stars gather for Odisha Open at SOA, starting December 15

Bhubaneswar, Dec 6: Around 700 participants from 25 countries will compete for top honors in three categories at the Odisha Open and 15th International Grandmasters Chess Festival, set to begin at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) University in Bhubaneswar on December 15.

The 8-day event, offering a total prize pool of ₹40 lakh, is organized by the All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA) in collaboration with SOA, Rotary International, and Empreo Group. Dr. Abinash Samal, Organizing Chairman, shared these details at a press conference on Thursday.

Debabrata Bhatta, AOCA Secretary and Tournament Director, outlined the competition structure. Category-A, featuring players with Elo ratings of 1900 and above, will have a prize pool of ₹25 lakh, including a top prize of ₹5.5 lakh. Categories B and C, for players with Elo ratings below 1900 and 1600, respectively, will each offer ₹7.5 lakh.

Entries from countries such as Belarus, France, Russia, and the USA include 70 titled players. Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Prof. Prasanta Kumar Patra, and other key officials attended the briefing.