Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 29 August 2025
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands marked a historic chapter in its sporting journey as the first-ever Andaman & Nicobar International FIDE Rated Open Chess Tournament 2025 concluded on 28th August 2025, at Jalsa Hall, Dollygunj, amid great enthusiasm and grandeur.
Organised by the Andaman Nicobar Chess Association (ANCA) with the support of the Department of Education and Sports, A&N Administration, the five-day tournament attracted 350 participants from over 20 Indian states and three countries — Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the USA — making it the largest chess event ever hosted in the islands.
In a keenly fought contest, A. Arush of Kerala clinched the championship trophy, finishing with 8.5 points and winning a prize of ₹1 lakh. Prashanth J. Naik of Karnataka secured the runner-up position with 8 points, receiving ₹70,000, while Sudhir Kumar Sinha of Bihar stood third, bagging ₹50,000. Arul Anandh SPK of Karnataka and Shivraj Bhosale claimed the fourth and fifth spots respectively. The top 25 players were awarded cash prizes.
The valedictory ceremony added splendour to the occasion, with Mr. Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal, IPS, DGP A&N Islands gracing the event as Chief Guest, and Mr. Bhavesh Patel, Member of All India Chess Federation’s Event Commission from Gujarat as Guest of Honour. Mr. Vikram Singh, Director of Education and Sports & Tournament Director, attended as Special Guest. The dignitaries jointly presented trophies and awards to the winners.
In addition to the main awards, special prizes in different age categories were presented to encourage young and budding chess talents.
Expressing gratitude, the Andaman Nicobar Chess Association acknowledged the vital support of the A&N Administration, especially the Hon’ble Chief Secretary and the Department of Education & Sports, in making the inaugural international tournament a grand success.
