Third edition Chess championship begins at Kohima

Kohima: Chess, an age-old game, is gaining momentum in Nagaland. The third edition of the Kohima District Chess Championship which began on Friday indicated why.

From a six-year-old to an 80-year-old, the two-day district Championship which is underway at the Nagaland Olympics Association (NOA) complex in Kohima saw an amalgamation of both young and old Chess enthusiasts.

“Altogether, we have 42 participants for two categories including general and under-16. Chess is gaining momentum in the state and the district. A joyful thing is that young people are quickly picking up the game and participating in the Championships,” Vizosielie Khoubve, President of Kohima District Chess Association (KDCA).

Unlike the previous edition which had less than 10 participants in the U-16 category, he said that the ongoing Championship has more than half of its total participants in the U-16 category.

“One beauty and interesting thing about the tournament is that people from different walks of life and ethnicity are taking part in the tournament. It is not just the Angami tribe (predominantly settled in Kohima) but even other tribes and ethnicity who are residents of the district,” Khoubve said.

KDCA was established in 2015 to promote the sport and players. Despite being a young organisation, he said that the Championship has been providing a platform for Chess enthusiasts to excel in the sport.

“One beauty of the game is that both young and old get together and play with each other, we see two generations of people competing and displaying the spirit of sportsmanship,” he added.

Chief guest of the event, Kedihoto Puro, former KDCA president and advisor, said that chess is a game of strategy, wit and tactics.

In the general category, the winner will walk away with a cash prize of Rs 20,000 while the second, third and fourth position holders will receive Rs 15,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5000 respectively.

In the U-16 category, the winner will receive Rs 7,000 while the second and third position holders will receive Rs 5,000 and Rs 3,000 respectively.

The oldest and youngest best players will each receive Rs 1,500.