Final Report:51st National Women’s Chess Championship 2025 in Durgapur from 03-13 Dec 2025

The 51^st National Women Chess Championship 2025 was held from 3^rd to 13^th December 2025 at the Sidhu Kanhu Indoor Stadium, Durgapur, West Bengal. This prestigious national women event witnessed participation from 139 players representing 27 states of India, making it one of the most competitive editions of the championship.

The championship featured an impressive field comprising 1 International Master, 1 FIDE Master, 1 Candidate Master, 7 Women Grandmasters (WGM), 6 Women International Masters (WIM), 15 Women FIDE Masters (WFM), and 11 Women Candidate Masters (WCM).

A total prize fund of ₹30 lakh was announced, to be distributed among the top 10 finishers. The tournament was conducted over 11 rounds, following the classical time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one with swiss system.

The championship was inaugurated by Mr. Pradip Mazumdar, Hon’ble Minister-in-Charge for Panchayats and Rural Development, Government of West Bengal. Several eminent personalities graced the opening ceremony, including A.K. Verma, Grandmaster Debendu Barua, Asit Baran Choudhary, and Debasish Barua.

After an intense battle across eleven rounds, WGM Nandhidhaa P.V. of Tamil Nadu emerged as the Champion, securing 1^st place with 9.5 points out of 11 rounds and carries home the winner trophy with Rs.7 lakhs, she was followed by WGM Mary Ann Gomes of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, who finished 2^nd with 9 points out of 11 rounds and carries home Rs.5.5 lakhs while WFM Arshiya Das of Tripura claimed the 3^rd position with with 8.5 points out of 11 rounds and takes home Rs.4.5 lakhs a commendable performance.

The championship once again highlighted the growing strength and depth of women’s chess in India and provided a strong platform for emerging talents alongside established stars.

Two players achieved Women International Master norm – WFM Shubhi, Gupta of Uttar Pradesh and WFM Nivedita, V C of Tamil Nadu which added more beauty to the championship.