Russian Grandmaster Petr Kiriakov Engages 36 Young Bihar Chess Players in Simultaneous Exhibition
Following his runner-up finish at the Bihar Open FIDE Rated Chess Tournament, Russian Grandmaster Petr Kiriakov participated in a special simultaneous chess exhibition on Monday. The event took place at the Indoor Stadium within the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna, where Kiriakov faced off against 36 talented young players from across the state of Bihar.
Young Prodigies Rise to the Challenge Against Grandmaster
During this engaging exhibition, the young chess prodigies from Bihar demonstrated remarkable skill and determination as they challenged the experienced Grandmaster. The overall contest spanned an impressive three hours, with three players achieving the notable feat of securing draws in their respective matches.
The successful players were Kumar Srijan and Abhimanyu Kumar from Patna, along with Abhijit Kumar from Bhagalpur. This talented trio received special felicitation from Grandmaster Kiriakov himself, as well as from Dharmendra Kumar, the secretary of the All Bihar Chess Association (ABCA).
Certificates and Recognition for All Participants
All remaining participants in the simultaneous exhibition were presented with certificates personally signed by Grandmaster Kiriakov. The presentation ceremony was conducted in the presence of Raveendran Sankaran, the director general cum CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority (BSSA), who expressed his admiration for the young players' performance.
"These were game-changing moments in their chess careers," Sankaran remarked. "They learned a few important moves. Our budding players were confident, aggressive and strategic. Many times, GM Petr had to think for quite some time because their moves were very sharp."
Kiriakov's Positive Experience and Future Plans
Speaking after the tournament on Sunday, Kiriakov shared his pleasure with the overall experience and expressed his desire to return next year with hopes of claiming the top prize.
"It was my first time in India," Kiriakov said. "I was quite surprised to see so many strong players. I expected to finish on top but ended up second. Maybe I will now come back once again to try and win the tournament because it was an overall good experience. Everyone wanted to take pictures and I felt very happy."
Tournament Results and Championship Details
The Bihar Open FIDE Rated Chess Tournament was held under the joint aegis of BSSA and ABCA. The top prize was claimed by Maharashtra's Mahindrakar Indrajeet, who emerged as champion through a tie-break system.
In the final round, Indrajeet defeated Parambrata Sarkar of Bengal, while Kiriakov settled for a draw in just thirteen moves. Haryana's Prithvi Sharma defeated Nepal's Rupesh Jaiswal in another crucial match. All three players finished with eight points each, but based on tie-break scores, Indrajeet was crowned champion by a margin of half a point.
Government Support and Future of Chess in Bihar
During the award ceremony, Bihar Education Minister Sunil Kumar, accompanied by Sports Minister Shreyasi Singh, emphasized the importance of chess for intellectual development. Minister Kumar proposed the inclusion of chess in the primary education curriculum, stating that plans for its systematic implementation would be pursued in the future.
This initiative highlights the growing recognition of chess as both a competitive sport and an educational tool within the state of Bihar, potentially paving the way for more structured chess programs in schools across the region.
