Young Minds Shine As Chiripal Chess Series Hits Ahmedabad
Citywide Blitz-Format Tournaments Aim to Popularise Chess Among New Players, Children, and visually impaired participants
The Chiripal Chess Series 2026, an open street chess project intended to bring the game closer to city dwellers and encourage wider involvement among new and young players, would be hosted by Ahmedabad-based Chiripal Group, a textile-to-solar multifaceted conglomerate. One of the first open street chess events in Ahmedabad, the series will include three blitz-format tournaments at well-known public venues.
Beginning on March 15, the competitions will take place across three weekends. On March 15, the first event will take place in the Sabarmati Riverfront. On March 22, a second competition will take place along Sindhu Bhavan Road. On April 4, the final competition will be held at Ahmedabad One Mall. The first two tournaments will start at 6:30 p.m., while the indoor event in the mall will start at 2 p.m. Ankit Dalal of My Sport Trip is in charge of organizing the series.
“Playing chess develops patience, strategic thinking, and decision-making—qualities that are useful in many contexts. Our goal with the Chiripal Chess Series is to introduce the game into public areas and inspire more people to play competitive chess, particularly young players. Ronak Chiripal, promoter of Chiripal Group, stated, “We are happy to support an initiative that makes the game more accessible, inclusive, and engaging for the community. Ahmedabad has a vibrant sporting culture.”
Chiripal Group has used professionally organised platforms to help cricket and squash in Gujarat as part of their CSR commitment to grassroots sports development. The group has backed initiatives like the Cricket Premier League for emerging cricket talent and partnered with the All Gujarat Squash Racquet Association to support junior athlete development programmes.
This idea is extended to chess by the Chiripal Chess Series 2026, which uses a professionally run tournament system to introduce the game into public areas. By taking chess outside of clubs and closed spaces, the program hopes to increase accessibility while providing a controlled, competitive environment for kids, novice players, and varied participation. The initiative’s long-term goal is to foster a thriving chess community throughout the city.
The blitz style, which is one of the fastest and most dynamic types of chess, will be used for the tournaments. Each game will have a three-minute time limit with a two-second increment. According to the organisers, players will have a structured and competitive experience because the events will be held in a fashion akin to international tournaments.
There will be a ₹25,000 prize pool and ₹1.5 lakh worth of vouchers for every tournament. The first 200 players will get free admission and registration to entice new players, while
Additionally, a free chess set will be given to the first 100 registrants. Over 600 participants are anticipated to compete in all three tournaments.
Tejas Bakre, Gujarat’s first Grandmaster, will be present to engage with new players and aspiring fans, adding to the excitement.
In keeping with the organisers’ goal of making chess more inclusive, visually impaired players are also anticipated to compete in the blitz tournament—a first for this format.
Every participant under the age of 13 will receive a medal in an effort to motivate younger players. Chiripal Group hopes to develop a new generation of chess aficionados in Ahmedabad while converting public areas into lively theatres of strategic play through the Chiripal Chess Series.
