Grandmaster Iniyan wins 62nd national chess championship

Grandmaster P Iniyan from Tamil Nadu won the 62nd National Chess Championship held in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. He secured the title by going unbeaten over 11 rounds, achieving 7 wins and 4 draws. Iniyan also took home a prize of 6 lakh rupees, even though he tied with 15-year-old International Master H. Goutham Krishna from Kerala, who received 5 lakh rupees, thanks to a superior Buchholz score.

The championship was organized by the Andhra Chess Association in collaboration with the All India Chess Federation, with support from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh. This week-long tournament drew some of the best chess players from all over India. Vignan’s University served as the venue, highlighting the importance of education alongside sports.

In a remarkable achievement, 15-year-old International Master H Goutham Krishna of Kerala secured second place with ₹5 lakh, gaining admiration from both peers and officials. Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran, representing the petroleum sports promotion board (PSPB), finished third, taking home ₹4 lakh.

This championship highlighted the value of perseverance and learning from failures. At the closing ceremony, Dr. Lavu Rathaiah, chairman of Vignan Institutions, emphasized that losing often teaches us more than winning. Each mistake made on the chessboard is a stepping stone toward future success. This mindset encourages players to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth.