New Delhi, June 7 (IANS) Grandmaster S.L. Narayanan, three-time Delhi GM champion Abhijeet Gupta and top international names like Levan Pantsulaia (Georgia) and Manuel Petrosyan (Armenia) headline the 21st Delhi International GM Open Chess Tournament, beginning June 7 at Tivoli Gardens, New Delhi.

With participation from over 2,500 players across 25 countries, the event reaffirms its status as one of Asia’s top battlegrounds for classical chess, where champions are challenged and future stars are moulded.

This year’s lineup includes top seed Narayanan (FIDE 2600), known for his precision in classical play. He will be joined by a strong Indian contingent featuring Abhijeet Gupta, GM Diptayan Ghosh, and National Champion GM Venkataraman Karthik. Category A, open to internationally rated players, includes 24 GM’s & 21 IM’s, with standout foreign participants like Luka Paichadze (Georgia) adding to the competitive depth. This section offers a prize pool of Rs 51 lakh.

WIM Rani Hamid, the 80-year-old veteran from Bangladesh and a 20-time National Champion, also returns to Delhi, continuing her remarkable run as one of Asia’s longest-serving international players.

Speaking on the occasion, Bharat Singh Chauhan, President of the Delhi Chess Association, said: “Over the years, we’ve nurtured players not just by giving them a platform, but by building a high-performance environment rooted in consistency and care. Many of India’s finest, including Gukesh and Arjun, have grown through this very ecosystem. With legends like Rani Hamid and stars like Narayanan in the mix, this year’s edition reflects the range, strength, and soul of South Asian chess.”

The Delhi GM Open has a well-earned reputation as a launchpad for elite talent, Arjun Erigaisi, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh Chithambaram sharpened their edge here, while Gukesh Dommaraju earned his final GM norm at this tournament to become the world’s youngest Grandmaster at just 12 years old. The 2025 edition continues that legacy with scale and ambition.

Category B (Under-1900) and Category C (Under-1700) each offer a prize pool of Rs 35 lakh, together drawing over 2,000+ players. All games will follow the classical time control format, under FIDE Swiss System regulations, with 10 rounds per section.

–IANS

ab/