Former Commonwealth Chess champion GM MR Lalith Babu will spearhead the Indian challenge in the 15th Delhi International Chess tournament which will feature 1800 participants in three categories.
The prize money for the the tournament across the categories is Rs 51.51 lakh.
GM Amonatov Farrukh of Tajikistan will start as the top seed in the 'A' group. Lalith Babu is the second seed in the toyrnament where 27 Grandmasters and 24 International Masters will be vying for top honours. Group A will have 270 players in action.
The 'B' group that starts along-side the main event on Saturday has 585 participants while the 'C' group remains the biggest draw with the participants' list touching close to 900.
Players from 28 countries will take part in the event.
The 'A' group also gives opportunities for players to get IM norms and there are ample title holders to facilitate the norms of candidates who perform well. There are more than a handful of Indian talents here vying for their respective title norms.
"This remains as good an opportunity for any chess player in our country as well as abroad as it was when we started this event. Having started with a meagre prize fund of Rs. 3.5 Lakhs in 2002, the tournament prize fund has grown fifteen times in fifteen editions," said Bharat Singh Chauhan the President of Delhi Chess Association.
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