Abu Dhabi Chess Festival attracts 12 Indian Grandmasters

Ninety Indian players including 12 GMs and 13 IMs are taking part in the Abu Dhabi International Open Chess Championship 2018 in UAE from August 6 to 16. Six coaches are also accompanying the Indian delegation to Abu Dhabi. The team has been sent to the prestigious event as part of an exposure tour ahead of the World Youth and the World Cadets Chess Championships to be held in Greece and Spain later this year.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Affairs is sponsoring the full expenditure of National Youth and Senior championships winners for this exposure trip.

Former World Junior champion Abhijeet Gupta, ranked 21, heads the Indian challenge. Karthikeyan Murali, two-time National champion, Aravindh Chithambaram Vr, Narayanan.S L, reigning National champion M. R. Lalit Babu and IM Nihal Sarin are other Indians with a rating of over 2500 in the 9-round contest.

Starting rank