Bhubaneswar, May 24: The 17th KIIT International Chess Festival 2026 was inaugurated at KIIT campus today. The event has a prize pool of Rs 1.31 crore, the highest prize money offered by any university in India.
The prestigious international tournament, being held from May 23 to 30, has brought together more than 4,000 players and officials from over 40 countries, including 25 Grandmasters, 50 International Masters and more than 85 international title holders. Around 2,000 parents are also attending the mega event.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Founder of KIIT, KISS and KIMS, Prof. Achyuta Samanta said KIIT has always been committed to promoting sports alongside academics and will continue supporting chess with full dedication in the coming years.
Expressing gratitude to the International Chess Federation (FIDE), All India Chess Federation (AICF) and Odisha Chess Association, Prof. Samanta said their continued support has helped the festival emerge as one of the most prestigious chess events in the world. He noted that one Grandmaster has been participating in the KIIT Chess Festival continuously for the last 17 years, which inspires the organizers to take the game to even greater heights.
“This tournament provides excellent international exposure to students and young players,” he said.
Tournament Director Sekhar Ranjan Sahoo described the KIIT International Chess Festival as the richest chess festival in the world. He said nearly 2,800 players are competing in the current edition and expressed confidence that participation would cross 5,000 in the coming years.
During the Opening Ceremony, GM Raset Ziatdinov (popularly known as Rashid), an Uzbekistani-American Chess Grandmaster and also the oldest player of the tournament, and GM S.P. Sethuraman, the prominent Indian Chess Grandmaster from Chennai with a rating of 2551, were felicitated. On this occasion, Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT, KISS and KIMS, was also felicitated by the Chess Players and Parents from Odisha, the All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA) and the All India Chess Federation (AICF) in recognition of his remarkable contribution towards the promotion of chess in India, particularly in Odisha, and for his continuous support and encouragement to Odisha chess players from last some many years.
President of the organizing committee Ranjan Kumar Mohanty said the event began in 2011 with a modest prize fund of Rs 16 lakh and has since grown into a globally recognised chess tournament.
Vice Chancellor of KIIT-DU Prof. Saranjit Singh highlighted the importance of infrastructure in producing international sportspersons. “World-class players can only emerge when institutions create conducive facilities and a strong sporting ecosystem. KIIT and KISS have successfully built such an environment for nurturing talent,” he said.
Registrar of KIIT University J. R. Mohanty also attended and addressed the gathering during the inauguration ceremony.
Meanwhile, the BLITZ OPEN, Category-D FIDE Rated Blitz Chess Tournament 2026 concluded successfully at KIIT University on May 24 with great enthusiasm and competitive spirit. The event was conducted over 9 rounds under the FIDE-prescribed blitz format with a time control of 3 minutes plus 2 seconds increment per move. Players displayed excellent tactical skills, speed, concentration and sportsmanship throughout the tournament.
In the final results of the Open Category, IM Aronyak Ghosh of RSPB emerged as Champion, while FM Aarit Kapil of Delhi secured the Runner-up position. Ghosh Diptayan of RSPB finished in third place. Special prizes were also awarded in various rating categories, Odisha category, Women category, Veteran category and age group categories, including Under-7, Under-9, Under-11, Under-13 and Under-15 sections.
The tournament is being organized by KIIT-DU in association with FIDE, AICF and the Odisha Chess Association and is expected to further strengthen Odisha’s growing reputation as a major destination for international sporting events.
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