The highly-anticipated Late Shri Manohar Parrikar Goa International Open Grandmaster Chess Tournament 2025 began on January 11, 2025, at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Taleigao, Goa. The grand event, running from January 11 to 19, has drawn participants from across the globe, featuring a total prize pool of Rs. 53 lakhs.
The championship was declared open by Sports Minister Govind Gaude. Marking the ceremonial beginning of the event, he played symbolic opening chess moves against Grandmaster Diptayan Ghosh, the highest-rated player in the tournament. The inaugural function witnessed the presence of prominent office-bearers of the Goa Chess Association, including Mahesh Candolkar, President, Ashesh Keni, Secretary, Vishwas Pilankar, Treasurer, and Arvind Mhamal, Vice-President, among other dignitaries.
“I applaud the Goa Chess Association for organising the third edition of this prestigious tournament, which has brought together top chess talents from across the globe. Goa is proud to offer world-class facilities capable of hosting national and international events of this magnitude. The Goa Government remains committed to supporting chess and nurturing our players to excel on global platforms.” stated Gaude.
The tournament has attracted an impressive lineup of Grandmasters, with 12 top-rated players competing, including India’s Diptayan Ghosh, S.P. Sethuraman, Jagadeesh Siddharth (Singapore), Mitrabha Guha, Anurag Mhamal (Goa’s first Grandmaster), Boris Savchenko (Russia), Sayantan Das, Deepan Chakkravarthy J., Alexei Fedorov (Belarus), Marat Dzhumaev (Uzbekistan), Nguyen Duc Hoa (Vietnam), and Evgeniy Podolchenko (Belarus). Joining them are highly ranked International Masters (IMs) such as Aronyak Ghosh, Srihari L R, Neelash Saha, and Rohith Krishna S. Goa’s top players, including IMs Ameya Audi, Ethan Vaz, and Ritviz Parab, are also competing alongside Grandmaster Anurag Mhamal, raising hopes for a strong local performance.
A diverse pool of players from 23 countries are participating in the tournament, representing nations such as Belarus, Egypt, England, Indonesia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Slovakia, Turkmenistan, the USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The event commenced with matches in Categories A and B, with 187 participants in Category A, 204 in Category B, while Category C which will feature 350+ participants commences on 16th, making it a truly grand affair. Over the next nine days, players across all categories will vie for honors in this prestigious tournament that promises intense competition and a showcase of remarkable chess talent.
