Chess for Youth is back after six years!

by Shahid Ahmed - 03/10/2023

Chess for Youth is back after more than a six-year-long hiatus. The 13th edition is slated to start exactly a month from today, on 3rd November 2023. This tournament is the brainchild of the legend, India's second Grandmaster in history - Dibyendu Barua. The tournament has witnessed many titled and strong players not only participate, but also win the event. Seven players have won the previous twelve editions in the Premier section. GM Deep Sengupta won the highest number of times - three and also consecutively. Premier section is a star attraction of the event as titled players take part in this event. Since this is an unrated event, titled and strong players get to freely experiment and enjoy taking various challenges. Last date of registrations is 31st October 2023. Photo: Tournament Circular

Who will win the 13th edition?

After a prolonged gap of more than six years, one of the most anticipated tournaments among the youth in Kolkata, Chess for Youth is back with the 13th edition. It will take place from 3rd to 6th November 2023 at Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Kolkata.

13th Chess for Youth will take place from 3rd to 6th November 2023

The inception of the tournament took place back in 2006 when Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy (DBCA) was established at Hindustan Park, Kolkata. The target was to create a tournament for the youth of West Bengal which will be an annual event and everyone can look forward to participating in it. The Premier group (Under-25) being open to players all over the country, players get the opportunity to play against some of the best youth of India.

The tournament has had various star-studded appearance in the past. They are: GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Deep Sengupta, GM Sahaj Grover, GM Swapnil Dhopade (who has won the tournament twice), GM Diptayan Ghosh, GM Swayams Mishra, GM Mitrabha Guha, GM Koustav Chatterjee, GM Sayantan Das, WGM Mary Ann Gomes, IM Soumya Swaminathan and IM Padmini Rout who is the only woman to win the Chess for Youth tournament.

Winners of twelve editions

FM Joydeep Dutta won the inaugural edition of Chess for Youth

GM Deep Sengupta won both second and third edition

GM Deep Sengupta completed the hat-trick by winning the fourth edition

Bitan Banerjee won the fifth edition

The sixth edition was won again by FM Joydeep Dutta

GM Swapnil Dhopade who was an IM back then won the seventh edition of Chess for Youth

The only female to have ever won the Chess for Youth is IM Padmini Rout who became the winner of the eighth edition

Then IM Swapnil Dhopade, currently a GM won it for the second time in the ninth edition in 2014

Debarshi Mukherjee clinched the 10th Edition of Chess for Youth in 2016

GM Diptayan Ghosh won the 11th Chess for Youth in 2016

GM Diptayan Ghosh also won the 12th edition in 2017

Schedule

Check out the table below for the schedule of each section - Under-6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 25 (Premier). The schedule has been created in such a way that Under-12, 14 and 16 participants can also take part in the Under-25 (Premier) section if they wish to. Prize distribution ceremony will take place on 6th November 2023 at 5 p.m. IST.

Schedule of each event

Prize, Time Control, Entry Fee and Venue

The total cash prize fund is ₹150000 in the Premier section with the first prize being ₹35000 + trophy. For the age-group section, there will be ten prizes for top ten boys and five for for top five girls in each section. Time control: 20 minutes + 5 seconds increment. Entry fee is ₹1000 in each section. Free entry for GMs, IMs, WGMs and WIMs. Venue: Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Prize, time control, entry fee and venue details

It is an ever-growing tournament where the number of participants always increase by each passing edition. The tournament is appreciated by the parents and accompanying person also as they get to see friendly faces and participate in various impromptu Quiz Contests where they get to test their mettle in chess.

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