Chess24 has confirmed that Vidit Gujrathi will participate in the Skilling Open, the 16-player opening event of the Champions Chess Tour that starts on November 22.
The announcement was made online, on the website of chess24.com highlighting the same. The full list of players has also been released.
The Champions Chess Tour is an initiative by the Play Magnus Group wherein the world's top players will compete over ten tournaments for a total prize fund of USD 1.5 million in the Online Chess tournament.
The first season, which went by the name Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour, was the first professional online chess tour and became a great success which included five tournaments, and 25 of the world's best players participated. The tournament will be played online, which runs from November 2020 to September 2021.
Vidit, in a statement, said "Chess Champions Tour is one of the most professional and prestigious tournaments across the globe. The first edition proved to be a grand success garnering more than 17mn views across various platforms. I am excited to be a part of this tournament, playing with the best in the business. This is a great initiative by Play Magnus Group in uplifting the sport of chess and I am happy to be representing the Indian chess community at the International level."
Vidit was the captain of the Indian Chess team which won the historic Gold Medal at FIDE Online Chess Olympiad. Previously, he has individually made the country proud by winning multiple tournaments and championships such as Tata Steel, Beil Grandmaster's event, Prague Masters etc. He is only the fourth Indian ever to cross 2700 ELO rating in 2017. Currently, he is ranked #24 in World and #3 in India.
Play Magnus AS was founded in 2013 with the goal of making the world a smarter place through chess. There are 10 tournaments this season with three Majors, six Regulars and a Final. The 16-player field for the Skilling Open has an average classical rating of 2758 and includes seven of the world's top 10. At stake are both Tour points and a $100,000 prize fund, with $30,000 for first place.
( With inputs from ANI )
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