Mumbai International Chess Tournament is Back – Bigger & Better!

by Praful Zaveri - 06/03/2025

After a five-year pause, the Mumbai International Chess Tournament is back with the support of Aurionpro Solutions Limited. The event is set to take place from June 16-24, 2025, at the prestigious World Trade Centre, Mumbai. It will feature two major tournaments: the Aurionpro Mumbai International Grandmaster Chess Tournament (₹25 Lakhs) and the Aurionpro Mumbai Junior International Chess Tournament (₹15 Lakhs). This is going to be the richest junior chess event in the world! Check out the article for more details.

The Mumbai International Chess Tournament was a dream initiative that I launched in 2016- a unique chess festival that brought together some of the best Grandmasters from across the world and created history by hosting the Richest Tournament for Children in the World!

For five uninterrupted years (2016-2020), this festival flourished, giving young chess prodigies a divine platform to rise to greatness. But then, the pandemic put a pause on this journey. Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t revive the tournament on a full international scale—until now!

The Legacy of the Mumbai Junior (U-13) Tournament

The Junior event was nothing short of magical- all its champions turned into Grandmasters, International Masters, or FIDE Masters!

1st Edition Winner Raunak Sadhwani has become a Grandmaster | Photo: Praful Zaveri

2nd Edition Winner Pranav Venkatesh has become a Grandmaster | Photo: Praful Zaveri

3rd Edition Winner D Gukesh has become a Grandmaster & now World Chess Champion! | Photo: Praful Zaveri

4th Edition Winner Aaryan Varshaney has become an International Master | Photo: Praful Zaveri

5th Edition Winner Jubin Jimmy has become an International Master | Photo: Praful Zaveri

Having Vishy Anand as our Brand Ambassador further inspired these young stars, paving the way for India’s next generation of chess legends. | Photo: Praful Zaveri

No tournament in India—or the world—is truly complete without IM Sagar Shah and his incredible platform, ChessBase India! This man has transformed chess into a spectator sport, bringing the game closer to millions.

I feel truly honoured and privileged to have known him since his childhood, and his unwavering support for my events and efforts to revive Mumbai’s chess legacy means the world to me. Here's to bringing Mumbai back to its glorious chess days—together!

The Revival – Thanks to Aurionpro Solutions Limited!

I truly believe that divine forces have ensured that this legacy continues. Enter Aurionpro Solutions Limited, an IT powerhouse that has stepped up to support chess in a grand way!

Aurionpro Solutions Limited is a global leader in providing advanced technology solutions with a focus on Banking, Payments, Transit, Data Center Services, and Government sectors, leveraging Enterprise AI to create comprehensive technology for our clients worldwide.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Mumbai, Aurionpro takes pride in its strong domain knowledge, IP-led offerings, and global footprint.

Our client base of over 300 institutions that trust us with their mission-critical technology needs is backed by a team of 2,700 professionals, making Aurionpro one of the deepest pools of fintech and AI talent. Our success is driven by a flexible approach, a passion for innovation, cross-functional collaboration, and a strong mentoring and learning culture. This translates into high growth success: Aurionpro grew more than 30% last fiscal year to cross the $100 million revenue mark.

The Company’s equity shares are listed on the National Stock Exchange Limited (NSE: AURIONPRO) and Bombay Stock Exchange Limited in India (BSE: 532668). For more information, visit www.aurionpro.com.

A heartfelt thanks to Mr. Paresh Zaveri, Chairman & Managing Director of Aurionpro, a passionate chess enthusiast and sports lover, who believed in this vision and decided to inject financial support on a much larger scale.

Presenting: The Aurionpro Mumbai International Chess Tournament!

Dates: 16th – 24th June 2025

Venue: Iconic World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai

I am truly fortunate to have secured the best venue for this prestigious event—the World Trade Centre, Mumbai. Once again, WTC has stepped forward as our Venue Partner, reaffirming its commitment to the game of chess.

With a sprawling 25,000 sq. ft. tournament hall (The Arcade), it stands among the finest chess venues in the world, offering players an exceptional playing experience. Its prime location, close to the Gateway of India and other iconic landmarks, adds to its prestige.

My heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman of WTC, for his unwavering support in fostering the growth of chess!

Aurionpro Mumbai International Grandmaster Chess Tournament – ₹25 Lakhs

(AICF Event Code: 414513/MH/2025)

Aurionpro Mumbai Junior International Chess Tournament – ₹15 Lakhs (Still the Richest Junior Tournament in the World!)

(AICF Event Code: 414514/MH/2025)

To all the future Gukeshs, Divyas, and Praggnanandhaas of the world—Save the Dates! This is your moment to shine, your chance to make history, and your opportunity to be part of something truly legendary! Spread the word. Tag your chess friends. Let’s make history together!

About the author

FI Praful Zaveri is the founder of the Indian Chess School Academy. He is a popular trainer in Mumbai and also the author of the critically acclaimed beginners' manual 'The Chess Course'. His vision is to build the chess culture in his hometown Mumbai as well as India and help the country produce many more grandmasters in the future. The Mumbai International Chess chess festival is his brainchild.