National champ Iniyan top seed as Chess Festival begins today

India GM Pravin Thipsay (left) with national champ Iniyan Pa at WTC, Colaba. Pic/Ashish Raje

Providing a platform for local talent to bloom and flourish is the thought behind hosting the 360 One Global Chess Festival, in its 9th season, which will start at the World Trade Centre on Wednesday.

The event has three categories - the Masters section (for players with an average rating of Elo 2359), the Challengers section (players below the Elo 2300 rating mark) and the Junior Masters section, which has consistently pointed out the prodigies over the years.

Reigning World Champ Dommarju Gukesh, who turned 20 this year, has played in the Junior section on three occasions, clinching the title in his third attempt. Women's World Cup-winner Divya Deshmukh has also participated in the junior event as has Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, who recently won the Norway Chess title, inflicting two defeats on the highest ever rated player on the planet, Magnus Carlsen, en route.

The brainchild of Indian Chess School's Praful Zaveri, the Festival will see 24-year-old Iniyan Pa, the reigning National Champion as the top seed.