Delhi: Over 2,500 players from more than 15 countries, including 20 Grandmasters, will compete across three rating-based categories in the 21st edition of the Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament, scheduled to be held here from June 7 to 14.
Organised by the Delhi Chess Association under the aegis of the All India Chess Federation, the tournament features a record prize pool of Rs 1.21 crore and is a marquee event on the FIDE World Championship Circuit.
Category A, open to all internationally-rated players, carries a prize purse of Rs 51 lakh. Categories B and C, for players rated below 1900 and 1700, respectively, will offer Rs 35 lakh each.
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All matches will be played in accordance with FIDE rules under the Swiss System format, with 10 rounds in each section.
“Over the past two decades, the Delhi GM Open hasn’t just kept pace with the rise of chess in India, but has helped drive it,” Delhi Chess Association President Bharat Singh Chauhan said in a release.
“We’ve seen the sport move from the margins to the mainstream, and this tournament reflects that shift in every sense, from the scale of participation to the depth of competition and the infrastructure supporting it.
“With every edition, we’re strengthening the foundations for a sustainable, high-performance chess culture in the country.”
Category A matches will use classical time control — 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move one. The top three finishers will receive Rs 7,00,000, Rs 6,00,000, and Rs 5,00,000 respectively, while all top ten players will be awarded Rs 1,00,000 or more.
Special prizes of Rs 1,00,000 each will be awarded to the Best Female Player and Best Foreign Player in Category A.
Category B games will follow a 60-minute plus 30-second time format, while Category C will have a 30-minute plus 30-second format.
The Delhi GM Open, which has played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of several Indian chess stars — including former winners Arjun Erigaisi, Aravindh Chithambaram, R Praggnanandhaa and reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju — has grown into the largest classical-format chess tournament in Asia by participation.
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