Sri Vijaya Puram, Nov. 14: The Department of Education, in collaboration with the Andaman Nicobar Chess Association (ANCA), inaugurated the Bal Chess Utsav 2025 – School Chess Championship today at the ITI Campus, Dollygunj, as part of the Children’s Day celebration. The championship aims to promote chess among school students and identify budding talents across the Islands.
The two-day event is being conducted across six categories viz Under 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 19. The championship will also serve as the selection event for the National Junior (U-19) Chess Championship scheduled to be held in Jharkhand in December 2025.
Ms. Jyoti Kumari, IAS, Secretary (IP&T), A&N Administration, graced the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest and inaugurated the tournament by making the ceremonial first move on the chessboard. Extending her heartfelt greetings on Children’s Day, she encouraged young players to take part in more chess tournaments, highlighting that such platforms help sharpen their thinking skills, nurture discipline and inspire them to bring laurels to the Islands.
Shri Vikram Singh, Director (Education/Sports), attended the event as the guest of honour. In his address, he urged the participants to approach the game with dedication and sincerity. He also encouraged school children to cultivate a regular reading habit and utilize the facilities available in State, zonal, and school libraries, stressing that meaningful engagement in sports and reading can help them stay away from mobile phone addiction and other negative influences.
This year, the event has attracted an impressive participation of around 400 young players, representing the full spectrum of the U-7 to U-19 age categories, making it one of the largest school-level chess tournaments in the Islands.
The prize distribution ceremony will be held on Nov. 15 at 12 PM where winners from each category will be felicitated.