Chess enthusiasts of every age took over the Dr. Sudhir Chandra Sur Institute of Technology & Sports Complex on 19th July, as Sara Bangla Daba Sangstha (SBDS) staged its third edition of the International Chess Day Celebration — a one-day rapid chess extravaganza that has quickly become a fixture on the city's sporting calendar.

What stood out most was the numbers. More than 300 players competed across four distinct sections — Open, Under-13, Under-11 and Under-9 — with the Open category alone pulling in 150 entrants, from titled players to complete beginners trying their hand at competitive chess for the first time. Add to that the dozens of trophy winners crowned in the junior boys' and girls' divisions, and the picture that emerges is of a sport whose grassroots base in Kolkata is thriving.

Chess Royalty in the House:

The event received a considerable boost from the attendance of Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua, joined by GM Saptarshi Roy and GM Saptarshi Roy Choudhury. Their presence on the sidelines, cheering on and mentoring the participants, added a special sparkle to proceedings and gave many of the younger players an unforgettable moment — a chance to rub shoulders with figures they usually only see on a chessboard diagram or a rating list.

Open Section: Majumder's Perfect Score Seals Top Prize

Playing across seven rapid rounds, Mayukh Majumder cruised through the field undefeated, wrapping up a perfect 7/7 and pocketing the top prize of ₹15,000. Chasing him were IM Kaustuv Kundu, who settled for second on 6 points, and Suman Maity, who completed the podium, also with 6 points.

The organizers ensured that excellence was rewarded well beyond the top of the standings, with separate prize pools for a number of sub-categories:


Below-1801: Kathakali Dey, Aniket Das and Rudrashish Som all finished on 5 points to sweep this category.
Below-1601: Aditya Das (4½) narrowly edged Shivajyoti Saha (4½) for the top spot, with Biswajit Das third on 4 points.
Unrated: Ambarish Sarkar, Debasish Pal and Anshu Kedia all tied on 4 points to take the honours.
Veterans (S60): Subir Kumar Dey led the seniors on 4 points, ahead of Tapan Kr. Ghosh and Kishor Kumar Saha.
Women's: Saparya Ghosh and Ayushi Roy both notched 5 points to share the top of the table, with Bristy Mukherjee just behind on 4½.


Under-13 Event: Tight Finishes in Both Divisions

The Under-13 section threw up several closely contested battles for the podium places.


Boys' U13: Jayesh Kankani was the clear winner on 5½ points, while Deeptanshu Roy and Ayan Biswas tied for second with 5 points apiece.
Girls' F13: Anindita Mondal and Procheta Mondal shared top spot on 4 points, with Anushka Saha third on 3½.
Boys' U11: Riyan Singha topped the standings with 5 points, followed by Samriddho Gupta and Ranak Barman, both on 4½.
Girls' F11: Ayanshi Sengupta finished first with 5 points, while Pranya Ghosh and Prasanna Goswami tied for second on 4 points each.


Under-9 Event: Tomorrow's Champions on Display

Perhaps the most endearing sight of the day came from the Under-9 boards, where children as young as five sat in quiet concentration over the pieces.


Boys' U09: Aarul Mukherjee, Arinjoy Patra and Reyaan Gharai all finished level on 5½ points, sharing the top three places.
Girls' F09: Sritija Dutta, Amrita Maity and Arshi Dey were tied at 4 points, splitting the top three spots between them.
Boys' U07: Anvesh Kumar Arya and Sreyansh Mondal shared first place with 5 points each, with Rishaan De third on 4½.
Girls' F07: Aaditri Majumdar was the standout, finishing on 5 points ahead of Aadriti Ghosh (3½) and Moupriya Mondal (3).


Smooth Execution, Bigger Ambitions

Running four sections and hundreds of players through a single-day rapid format is a considerable organizational challenge, and Sara Bangla Daba Sangstha's team handled it with impressive efficiency — pairings went out on time, playing halls stayed orderly, and the overall atmosphere remained warm and welcoming from the youngest five-year-old debutant to the most experienced campaigner in the veterans' section.

Given the scale of participation and the continued goodwill of respected figures like GM Dibyendu Barua, this celebration of International Chess Day appears well placed to grow even further in the editions to come.

Complete standings, round-wise pairings and full player lists can be found on the tournament's official Chess-Results page.