Bhubaneswar: The 15th KIIT International Chess Festival inaugurated here at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) here on Monday. The chess festival featured a total cash award of Rs 60 Lakh to be held in three different categories.
Altogether 272 players including 12 GM, 14 IM, 1 WGM, 3 WIM, 4 FM, 3 WFM, 4 CM and 3 WCM from across 16 different countries India (230), Sri Lanka (11), Bangladesh (9), Egypt (4), Russia (4), Vietnam (3), Belarus (2), Colombia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Turkmenistan, United States of America and Zimbabwe will take part in the 10 rounds category-A event. Indian IM Aronyak Ghose of Railway Sports Promotion Board is the top rated with 2547 ELO rating.
Total 268 players including one FM and one CM from across five countries, India (263), Sri Lanka (2), one each from Cyprus, Kenya and Nepa in the Category-B event.
