Beginning on January 18, there will be the Bangalore International Grandmasters Open Chess Tournament.

The Bangalore Urban District Chess Association (BUDCA), in conjunction with the government of Karnataka, is all prepared to hold the first edition of the Bangalore International Grandmasters Open Chess Tournament at the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium from January 18 to 26.Over 2000 players and over 40 grandmasters from 20 different countries—among them notable figures like Abhijeet Gupta and Nigel Short—are anticipated to compete in the Garden City, which last played home to a major tournament over 40 years ago.The competition, which will offer ₹50 lakh in prize money, will be divided into three categories, A, B, and C based on the FIDE ratings of the players. There will also be an open Blitz competition on January 22.The first grandmaster from Karnataka, M.S. Thejkumar, was happy to participate in a competition at home. “There is a sharp rise in the number of tournaments in India now,” he said during a media event on Saturday."I truly wanted to compete in a tournament of this caliber when I became the General Manager in 2017, but that goal was never realized. This will significantly benefit the younger population.