Indian Chess Masters and Indian Chess Masters for the Blind set to happen in Mumbai from 3rd-4th March
After the online qualifiers were held in early January, the Indian Chess Masters and Indian Chess Masters for the Blind finals are set to take place on 3rd-4th march! This event will take place at the Sahara Star Hotel in Mumbai. There are 16 men and 16 women who have qualified to the finals - who will emerge as the Champion? In this article, you will get to know all the information about this event.
Indian Chess Masters and Indian Chess Masters for the Blind Finals Set to Thrill at Sahara Star, Mumbai
The grand finale of the Indian Chess Masters (ICM) and Indian Chess Masters for the Blind (ICMB) is set to take place under the prestigious SOG Grandmasters Series (SOG GMS) at the Sahara Star Hotel, Mumbai, on March 3-4, 2025. Hosted by the Skillhub Online Games Federation (SOGF), this tournament will bring together some of the finest chess players from the West Zone of India!
A Competitive Showcase of Indian Chess Talent
The Indian Chess Masters will feature 32 top players—16 male and 16 female—who have battled their way through the West Zone online qualifiers on Tornelo, which saw a massive participation of 600 players. Maharashtra, Goa, and Gujarat together formed the competitive West Zone, with the top 16 men and 16 women earning their spots in the Finals. Adding to the tournament’s prestige, the Indian Chess Masters for the Blind (ICMB) will witness 16 talented finalists competing for top honors. The ICMB is being conducted in collaboration with the All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB), ensuring a platform for visually impaired chess champions to showcase their exceptional skill. The event will be honored by the presence of esteemed dignitaries, including former FIDE CEO Geoffrey Borg and AICF’s Head of Operations, Ajeet Kumar Verma!
Who will be the participants?
The Indian Chess Masters West Zone Online qualifiers took place on 16th-17th January 2025. These are the players who were selected in the Open section and the Women's section for the finals in Mumbai:
| MEN | |||||
| S.No | Rank | Name | State | ||
| 1 | 1 | Chavan Nameet | Pune - MAH | ||
| 2 | 2 | Shirodkar Aayush | Margoa - GOA | ||
| 3 | 3 | FM | Wagh Suyog | Ahmednagar - MAH | |
| 4 | 4 | IM | Md Nubairshah Shaikh | BEED - MAH | |
| 5 | 5 | Jval Saurin Patel | Ahmedabad - GUJ | ||
| 6 | 7 | CM | Aansh Nandan Nerurkar | Margoa - GOA | |
| 7 | 8 | Somaiya Shreyansh | Mumbai- MAH | ||
| 8 | 9 | ACM | Iyer Arvind | Kalyan - MAH | |
| 9 | 10 | Kabnurakar Rushikesh | Kolhapur - MAH | ||
| 10 | 11 | AIM | Vivaan Sardana | Mumbai- MAH | |
| 11 | 12 | AGM | Shiva Iyer | Nagpur - MAH | |
| 12 | 13 | Joglekar Akshay | Mumbai- MAH | ||
| 13 | 14 | Nihaan Pohane | Chandrapur - MAH | ||
| 14 | 15 | Aditya Savalkar | Kolhapur - MAH | ||
| 15 | 16 | Sarvade Mihiir | Pune - MAH | ||
| 16 | 17 | Lathik Raam | Pune - MAH |
| Women | |||||
| S.No | Rank | Name | State | ||
| 1 | 6 | WIM | Chitlange Sakshi | F | Aurangabad - MAH |
| 2 | 32 | WCM | Swera Ana Braganca | F | Santa Cruz - GOA |
| 3 | 43 | Jain Ashita | F | Vadadora - GUJ | |
| 4 | 62 | Dnyanada Unmesh Gujarathi | F | Karjat - MAH | |
| 5 | 67 | Anushka Gandhi | F | Pune - MAH | |
| 6 | 73 | Sayali Mahadeo Khode | F | Amravati - MAH | |
| 7 | 76 | Kamble Samruddhi Vishwanath | F | Aurangabad - MAH | |
| 8 | 87 | Vidisha Aba Bolke | F | Virar - MAH | |
| 9 | 91 | Narayani Umesh Marathe | F | Nandurbar - MAH | |
| 10 | 93 | Nisha Malviya | F | Pune - MAH | |
| 11 | 101 | Spruha Shirke | F | Mumbai - MAH | |
| 12 | 110 | Ishita Sudhir Gupta | F | Thane - MAH | |
| 13 | 115 | Sandhya Amit Gosavi | F | Dhule - MAH | |
| 14 | 121 | Mahi Pankaj Sanghavi | F | Jalgaon - MAH | |
| 15 | 129 | Sharwari Paithankar | F | Ahmednagar - MAH | |
| 16 | 130 | Palak Nilesh Ramani | F | Thane - MAH |
Broadcasting the event in various platforms!
Marking a new era for competitive online chess in India, the SOG Grandmasters Series is not just about the competition but also about expanding the sport’s reach. The finals will be showcased through post-produced shows on major broadcasting platforms, including DD Sports, JioTV, JioTV Plus, Prasar Bharati Sports, and Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform WAVES. This wide-ranging media exposure ensures that chess enthusiasts across the country can follow all the action live by tuning in to their favorite platforms!
Call for Volunteers:
Assist Visually Challenged Players in Hybrid Chess Tournament
The AICFB, in collaboration with the SOG Federation, is organizing an online Chess Championship selection cycle. The first event, the West Zone Championship, will take place at Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai, on 3rd and 4th March 2025.
We are seeking rated players (preferably above 15 years) to assist our visually challenged players during the tournament by helping them make moves on a device.
If you reside in Mumbai and are interested in contributing to this meaningful initiative, please fill out the form below. We will reach out to provide more details. Volunteers will get 1500 per day as remuneration and lunch will be taken care of.
Your support can make a huge difference in making this event a success!
If you are interested to help, check out this Google form link and fill it up with relevant details.
Links
Twitter and Instagram, Facebook page
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Indian Chess Masters West Zone Qualifiers to take place on 16th and 17th January 2025
@ 15/01/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |