Neiba Kronu declares open the 18th Nagaland State Chess championship in Kohima on March 29. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 29
The 18th Nagaland State Chess Championship 2021 under the aegis of Nagaland Chess Association (NCA) got underway here at The Heritage, Old DC Bungalow.
61 participants registered for this four day long event, which will continue till April 1.
A total prize money of Rs. 2 lakh has been set aside for this championship.
Inaugurating the event Nagaland’s Planning & Coordination, Land Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs minister Neiba Kronu informed that the state government has decided to set up a complex for the different sports discipline in the state under Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA).
This would help develop better coordination between the sports organization within the state with the national authorities, said Kronu, who is also president of Nagaland Chess Association.
Stating that Chess is a very interesting game, Kronu said that some say that Chess is a game for kings, politicians, thinkers.
It is played in almost all parts of the world. Currently, Chess is the most played game around the world and while some play for fun, some to increase memory yet it is being played professionally, he said.
He called up the participants from all over the state to give their best and try hard to reach the national and international levels. Further, Kronu asked the NCA executives to locate a place for chess players to come together and play with each other regularly.
NCA vice president Mughaho Awomi said that the championship is being held after a gap of two years as it could not be held due to some technical problems in 2019 and COVID pandemic in 2020.
He said NCA had been facing difficulties to organize the tournament due to shortage of chess clocks, but now they are equipped with sufficient chess clocks donated by NCA president Kronu.
The Association is looking forward to organizing different tournament format like Rapid, Blitz etc, he said.
He also highlighted that All India Chess Federation (AICF) target is to teach chess to each child to make a better society and contribute in increasing the GDP of the Nation.
AICF has given Certified Training to all India to Chess players / Coaches to get their Trainer Titles and Certificate under AICF to impart chess playing culture at the grass root level, and NCA is already given our players Trainers Training Program in just recently online by international master and Grand Master.
AICF is already set up for inclusion of chess as a compulsory curriculum in schools all over the country, he informed.
Earlier, Ketu Gwirie compered the inaugural function.
The inaugural function also witnessed presentation of Chess set to the district chess associations including veteran Chess players of the state.
