Is Chess a Viable Career? Don't Romanticise the Prize Money: Rout

An honest answer to the one question that no one truly tackles in the Indian chess world. Finally, Padmini Rout says it as clear as possible. Here's a must-watch video based on her points of 

- Trajectory beyond rating

- Foundation for finances beyond desperation 

- Hard Work and genuine love for chess beyond the glory

- Can chess ever be wasted

Caption: (R) Asian Women's Champion International Master Padmini Rout's screen grab from Youtube video.  

 

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Madrid Calling: Moratalaz Chess International Open begins Sept 5

The XXIX Open Internacional de Ajedrez Moratalaz is scheduled to take place in September 2026 in Madrid, Spain.The annual Moratalaz Open is a highly anticipated 9-round Swiss system classical tournament regulated by FIDE. The event traditionally welcomes a diverse field of chess players from around the world, famously including Manuel Álvarez (known as "Manolín"), recognized internationally as the world’s oldest active chess player.

The Club de Ajedrez Moratalaz is a historic and highly active chess community. The club was founded in 1973. It is one of Madrid's longest-running and most prestigious chess clubs. It hosts chess lessons for all skill levels, runs local youth tournaments with schools in the neighborhood, and actively competes in the official Madrid Chess League.
The club director and driving force behind the events is Luis Eduardo Mansilla. He serves as both the Tournament Director (Dirección) and a FIDE Arbiter (Chief Arbiter), organizing and overseeing the technical smooth-running of the International Opens.

Official Website

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Kuldeep Shankar wins CCBW Lucknow August Digital Detox Rapid Chess

 

Chief Guest KK Khare sahab with Prize Winners

One of UP’s finest young players Kuldeep Shankar won the CCBW Open Chess Rapid at Classic Banquets with fantastic 6.5/7 points on Sunday. Veterans Pawan Batham, Sayeed Ahmad and Mohd Raisuddin Khan (Prayagraj) were tied for 3rd place with 5.5 points each. Saransh Srivastava and Nakshatra Srivastava were top scorers in Under 16 rated category with 5 points each. 

Champion Kuldeep Shankar

Junior Champion Aditya Kirti Srivastava

Playing Hall Photo

Chess Club Black & White (CCBW) also celebrated World’s Senior Citizens Day. Lucknow’s senior most player KK Khare was the best senior citizen (5 points) who also gave away the prizes as chief guest. Other Senior Citizens who took the top prizes were Mohd Syed Irfan, RP Gupta, Vipul Awasthi and Dwarka Nath (3 points each). Kunwar Prashant Singh was the best unrated player (4.5 points).  The Under 16 Unrated section Champion was Aditya Kirti Srivastava with 6.5 points.

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CCBW Chess Maharaja Series #1 Rapid Open Tournament is here: May 26, 17

Lucknow calling: One of Lucknow's biggest-ever chess tournaments, the CCBW Maharaja Series #1 is being hosted by Chess Club Black and White (CCBW) on May 16, 17 at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Multi-Purpose Indoor Hall at the KD Singh Babu Stadium. The chess tournament offers a total prize money of Rs three lakh (usd 3160 approximately) and is open to players with a Fide rating of 2100 and below and all unrated players. However, there is no rating bar for players (senior citizens) born 1966 and before. 

The chess tournament prize structure includes a first prize of Rs 30,000/- and a second prize of Rs 20,000/-. Overall the tournament offers 160 trophies and 86 cash prizes. 

Chess Club Black & White is known for being great chess tournaments to the city with an excellent level of organisation matching international standards. 

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Aman Goel Wins CCBW Bruce Lee Memorial on Lichess

Lucknow, July 20, 2020: Aman Goel (Sil3entAman) won the Remembering Bruce Lee Memorial CCBW Global Online Lichess Tournament on July 20.
Shaan Garg (brrrruuuuuhh) came in a creditable second with Enaith Habibullah (Enaith) standing third.  PreciousBansal (preciouschesschd) was the Best Girl (overall third).

Aman, playing strategically, put up some nice ideas in the Sicilian and English. In an interesting Najdorf battle, Aman polished off the runner-up with a back rank mate.
Shan Garg dropped only two games for a creditable second playing totally unlike Aman with tactical mad fire on the chess board.
Enaith Habibullah, home from boarding school, showed remarkable resilience in his 1.e4 games to take the third place.
Precious Bansal, held her own, amidst the strong competition to easily pick up the Best Girl Prize without much difficulty.

Martial Artist legend Bruce Lee's poem, "Be water, my friend" is the philosophy for Chess Club Black and White (CCBW).

"Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

A nice quora post explains it as, "Water is easy-going. Water doesn't fuss, it doesn't push, or pull. It fills the space allowed, no more, no less. This saying is basically to remind you to just relax, go with the flow, be present and in the moment; let things happen and enjoy that you're there to take it all in. Be water, my friend."
You can find a very nice podcast on the quote on the official Bruce Lee website at this link.

DO like the CCBW FACEBOOK PAGE PLEASE 

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