Fourteen-year-old Aditya Munot will be one of the lucky few chess enthusiasts who will get to play with the grandmaster Viswanathan Anand himself. The IIFL Investment Managers Mumbai International Chess Tournament which will be hosted by Mount Litera School International on January 7, will have the grandmaster play simultaneous matches with selected students from different schools.
"This is indeed a great opportunity, to learn from the grandmaster himself," says 14-year-old Aditya who will be representing Mount Litera School. Aditya started playing at a very young age and was trained by his father. "It's a game teaches you so much and helps you think logically. It helps build your concentration as well. That's what I love about the game," says Aditya.
Aditya has lost count of the number of tournaments he has played, but his most memorable moment was when he got a FIDE (Federation Internationale des Echecs) ranking. While Aditya has no plans of making chess a full-time career, he certainly wants to ensure that he gets to play professional tournaments regularly.
The event, which is in its third edition started on December 30 and saw the participation of students from at least 25 countries. The finals round will be held tomorrow in Mumbai. Approved and acknowledged by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), World Chess Federation (FIDE) and All India Chess Federation (AICF), the event is eagerly anticipated by chess enthusiasts.
Often called the 'World's Richest' event for kids’, the tournament has generated great buzz amongst the parents and participating students. The participation rates have also seen a significant rise from the last edition. The two categories, the senior championship and the U-13 championship will carry a prize amount of Rs 12 lakh and Rs 8 lakh respectively. Grandmaster Anand will play simulcast against the junior participants.