IIT Kanpur To Host Its First FIDE Rated Rapid Chess Tournament
Chess has been an integral part of the intellectual and competitive culture at IIT Kanpur. Beyond classrooms and laboratories, the game has served as a platform for strategic thinking, patience, and fun. As interest in the sport continued to grow, so did the need for an organized platform that could nurture talent, encourage participation, and provide competitive exposure. This vision laid the foundation for the formation of the 'Chess Club IITK' in 2007. With a solid track record in the online domain, Chess Club IITK now sets its sights on expanding into the offline arena, and IIT Kanpur is hosting its first FIDE-rated rapid Chess Tournament, featuring a whopping prize pool of 2,00,000 INR, on 7th February 2026. 9 rounds will be played in Swiss format with the time control of 10+5 Minutes at Yoga Hall, New SAC, IIT Kanpur Campus. Read this Article for more details.
The Chess Culture at IIT Kanpur
Chess Club IITK organizes a variety of events and initiatives throughout the academic year to encourage active participation from the campus community. These include the annual championship cycle, comprising events such as the Candidates Tournament, the Grand Swiss, the Chess Cup, and the Speed Chess Championship. IIT Kanpur also conducts India’s Biggest Collegiate Chess League – CMPL, with the most recent edition having a 9 Lakh+ prize pool and 1500+ participants. The institute regularly holds practice sessions, internal tournaments (with 100+ participants), and street chess to help players gain consistent over-the-board experience. The IIT Kanpur chess team has brought numerous laurels to the club.
Fresher’s Chess League 2025
IITK Candidates ‘25-’26
IIT Kanpur also honoured Sir Vishwanathan Anand with an honorary doctorate in 2016.
With relatively few top-tier tournaments regularly held in Kanpur, a significant pool of emerging talent often remains underexposed, and IITK saw this as an opportunity to expand its reach to the next level. The whispers about conducting a FIDE-rated tournament have been around at the Club for the past 3-4 years. But due to logistical constraints, the very hectic academic calendar, and other limitations, the Club was unable to turn this dream into a reality. That is, until now. Chess Club IIT Kanpur takes a significant step forward by organizing the first FIDE-rated rapid Chess Tournament with a whopping prize pool of 2,00,000 INR.
We cordially invite chess players from clubs, institutions, and independent backgrounds to join us for this special occasion - IIT Kanpur
Main Prizes
For Brochure Check this link: Details
For Hotels Near IITK Check: Details of Hotels
Helper Doc for New Players: Details
We look forward to providing a positive, memorable chess experience for all participants. Till then, Happy Chessing!- IIT Kanpur