Sharanya Mathur

Chess for a cause As part of its Republic Day special, on 25th January 2026, Bangalore Chess Club hosted the second edition of its annual fundraiser rapid tournament, bringing together over 200 chess enthusiasts from across the city. While the event featured attractive prizes and a strong field of participants, it was driven by a larger purpose. A total amount of Rs. 61,200, raised entirely from the event, was donated towards supporting young and aspiring players through HelpChess Foundation.

Their opponent? GM Panneerselvam Iniyan, the 61st Grandmaster of India and recently crowned National Rapid 2025 champion. Currently rated 2578 in classical, GM Iniyan has many laurels to his name. He became a Grandmaster at the age of 16, and notably won the Commonwealth Under-18 Open in 2019 with a perfect 7/7 score. The preceding blitz tournament was a huge success as well. It was a 5-round swiss tournament with participants ranging from casual fans to really strong players.