Patna: The Bihar State Junior Chess Championship, organized by the Gaya District Chess Association under the aegis of the All Bihar Chess Association, commenced on Saturday. The event, held at the Parvati Garden auditorium in Dumuhan, Bodh Gaya, features over 100 players from across the state, including approximately 20 FIDE-rated competitors.
On the first day of the championship, all rated and senior players triumphed in their first-round matches. The tournament, dedicated to the memory of mountain man Dashrath Manjhi, will see seven rounds played in the boys’ category and five rounds in the girls’ category.
The championship was inaugurated by Gaya District Sports Officer Naresh Kumar, Treasurer of All India Chess Federation Dharmendra Kumar, and President of All Bihar Chess Association Diljeet Khanna, who played a ceremonial game with the players.
The inauguration ceremony also featured motivational speeches from Dr. Satyendra Kumar, Rohit Raj, Paritosh Kumar, Bablu Kumar, Rahul Kumar, Uttam Raj, Ratan Kumar, and Pramod Kumar, who encouraged the organizers and participants. JP Sinha, President of the Gaya District Chess Association, Secretary Santosh Kumar, and Chief Arbiter Nand Kishore Srivastava were also in attendance.
Participants from various government schools in the Gaya district, including Crane Memorial, Poddar International, DPS, DAV Cantt Area, and Kilkari, are competing in the championship. The winners of this tournament will represent Bihar in the national competition to be held in Haryana.
