Pune to Host Maharashtra’s First-Ever International Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament
Pune, 29th June 2026: The city of Pune is set to witness a landmark moment in Indian chess as the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament 2026 gets underway at The Fern Habitat, Mundhwa, from 30th June to 8th July 2026.
Organized by Buddhibal Kreeda Trust and powered by The Habitat, the tournament is being conducted under the aegis of FIDE, All India Chess Federation (AICF), Maharashtra Chess Association (MCA) and Pune District Chess Circle (PDCC).
The event is particularly significant as it is the first International Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament of its kind to be hosted in Maharashtra, providing a rare opportunity for aspiring Indian players to compete against experienced Grandmasters in norm-eligible conditions.
Featuring 10 highly-rated players from India, Belarus, Sri Lanka and the United States of America, the tournament includes three Grandmasters, six International Masters and one FIDE Master. The field is headed by Grandmasters Abhijeet Gupta (India), Aleksej Aleksandrov(Belarus) and Alexei Fedorov (Belarus).
Beyond the prize money and international prestige, the tournament serves as an important platform for ambitious players. Such events are considered a crucial stepping stone in a player’s journey towards achieving the coveted Grandmaster title, as they provide opportunities to earn Grandmaster Norms by competing against strong international opposition under FIDE-prescribed conditions.
The tournament will be inaugurated on 30th June at 9:30 AM, with all nine rounds commencing daily at 10:00 AM. The event will be played with a time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move one.
With a total prize fund of ₹2,50,000, the winner will receive ₹1,00,000, while the closing ceremony and prize distribution will be held on 8th July 2026 at 3:00 PM.
The tournament will be officiated by IA R. Srivatsan as Chief Arbiter. The event is supported by ChessBase India, Kunte’s Chess Academy, and KinderSports.
Chess enthusiasts, students, coaches and sports lovers are invited to witness world-class chess action and be part of a historic moment for Maharashtra chess.
Players List:
1. Aleksandrov Aleksej(2433, Belarus), 2. Abhijeet Gupta(2540, India), 3 Fedorov Alexei(2388, Belarus), 4. Kushagra Mohan(2456, India), 5. De Silva L M S T(2382, Sri Lanka), 6. Aswath S(2517, India), 7. Akshay Borgaonkar(2380, India), 8. Nitish Belurkar(2479, India), 9. Vaidyanathan Kannan(2377, USA), 10. Advik Agrawal(2382 India).
