The Bangalore Open 2025 was held over the weekend of February 22–23 at the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, and we're incredibly proud to share that Game On Chess Academy students came home with 4 medals across two categories. Here's the full recap.
The Tournament
The Bangalore Open is one of Karnataka's most popular chess events, attracting over 300 players from across the state. This year's edition featured three categories:
- Under-10 — 7 rounds, Swiss format, 15+5 time control
- Under-14 — 7 rounds, Swiss format, 30+0 time control
- Open Category — 9 rounds, Swiss format, 60+30 time control
We entered 12 students across the Under-10 and Under-14 categories — the largest contingent we've sent to any tournament since starting in 2024.
Our Results
Under-10 Category
Arjun M. — 2nd Place (6/7 points)
Diya S. — 5th Place (5.5/7 points)
Arjun played outstanding chess throughout, losing only to the eventual winner in round 5 before bouncing back with two strong wins. His endgame technique — something we've been working on in his sessions with Coach Sagar — was the difference in at least three games.
Diya, who only started learning chess 8 months ago, surprised everyone with her calm, positional style. Her 5th-place finish in a field of 80+ players is remarkable for someone so new to competitive play.
Under-14 Category
Rahul K. — 3rd Place (5.5/7 points)
Priya N. — Best Girl Player Award (5/7 points)
Rahul has been training with us since our first batch in 2024. His journey from a casual player to a consistent medal winner has been inspiring to watch. In this tournament, his opening preparation paid off — he won three games straight out of the opening with well-prepared Sicilian lines.
Priya earned the "Best Girl Player" special prize with 5 out of 7 points, including wins against two rated players. Her aggressive style and willingness to sacrifice material for initiative made her games exciting to watch.
Team Highlights
Beyond the medal winners, several other students had great performances:
- Karthik R. scored 5/7 in Under-10, narrowly missing a podium spot on tiebreak
- Meera V. beat a 1200-rated player in Under-14 — her first win against a rated opponent
- Aditya P. went undefeated (4 wins, 3 draws) in his very first tournament
All 12 students scored at least 50%, which shows the strength of their preparation and the confidence they've built through regular training.
Lessons from the Tournament
Every tournament teaches us something. Here are the three biggest takeaways from this event:
1. Time Management Matters
A few of our students got into time trouble in critical positions. We'll be adding more timed practice games to our sessions to build better clock habits.
2. Opening Preparation Pays Off
Students who had studied specific openings for their games performed significantly better. Rahul's Sicilian preparation was the best example — he spent just 10 minutes on the first 15 moves in most games, saving time for the middlegame.
3. Attitude Over Rating
Diya and Meera both beat players rated significantly higher than them. The difference? They played the board, not the opponent's rating. Confidence and a positive attitude make a real difference in competitive chess.
"I wasn't thinking about ratings. Coach Surya told me to focus on one move at a time, and that's what I did." — Diya S., after her Round 4 upset win
What's Next?
We're already preparing for the Karnataka State Under-14 Championship in April. Five of our students have qualified based on their Bangalore Open performance. Coach Sagar is leading an intensive preparation camp focusing on endgames and time control practice.
If your child is interested in competitive chess, our Tournament Preparation program is designed to build the skills, confidence, and tournament toughness needed to perform on the big stage.
Congratulations to all 12 students who represented Game On Chess Academy. Win or lose, showing up and competing takes courage — and every game is a learning opportunity.