Odisha Open Chess festival kicks off with 700 participants from 20 countries at SOA

Bhubaneswar, Dec 16: The Odisha Open and the 15th International Grandmasters Chess Festival commenced on Sunday at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) with approximately 700 participants from 20 countries competing for top honors. The tournament was inaugurated by former Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan.

Expressing his delight at the enthusiastic turnout of players across various age groups, Harichandan noted that the event would significantly contribute to popularizing chess among the public. The eight-day tournament boasts a total prize pool of Rs. 40 lakh and is organized by the All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA) in collaboration with SOA and the Empreo Group.

Competitors are divided into three categories based on their Elo ratings: approximately 120 players with ratings of 1900 or above are competing in Category A, while those rated below 1900 are in Category B, and players with ratings below 1600 are in Category C. The prize money for Category A totals Rs. 25 lakh, with the top prize set at Rs. 5.5 lakh. Categories B and C each have prize pools of Rs. 7.5 lakh.

The inauguration also saw the presence of Babu Singh, MLA, who attended as the Guest of Honour. Other dignitaries included Abinash Samal, Chairman of the Organising Committee and Managing Director of Empreo Group, Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Co-Chairman of the Organising Committee and Dean of Students' Welfare at SOA, Debabrata Bhatta, Secretary of AOCA and Tournament Director, Shankar Prasad Mishra, Treasurer of AOCA, and Sunita Barma, Sports Officer at SOA.