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Six Indian juniors will feature in Julius Baer Challenge starting today

by Shahid Ahmed - 03/09/2022

The Challengers Chess Tour 2022 season starts today with Julius Baer Challenge. 16-players including six Indians - GM Raunak Sadhwani, GM Leon Luke Mendonca, IM Aditya Mittal, IM Prraneeth Vuppala, WGM Savitha Shri B and WGM Vantika Agrawal will take part in the first tournament. The Total prize fund for each tournament is US$10,000. The format of the tournament has been changed from Rapid to Blitz. The total prize fund for the entire season will be $30000 + wildcard for Champions Chess Tour 2023 and a $10000 match against the previous season winner, GM Praggnanandhaa in Tel Aviv, Israel. The tournament will start at 11:30 p.m. IST tonight. Photo: Challengers Chess Tour

Challengers Chess Tour 2022: Promoting gender equality and talented juniors

Play Magnus Group’s ground-breaking Challengers Chess Tour will return today with a line-up of the world’s top juniors mentored by legend of the game Judit Polgar, it was announced on 30th August. The tour, which launched the career of Indian superstar Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and was shortlisted for a prestigious ESG Award for promoting gender equality, will start its first two-day event on 3rd September.

Julius Baer Challenge participants | Photo: Challengers Chess Tour

Sixteen of the world’s top Under 12, 14 and 16 age group players have been invited to take part in the first leg alongside Under 18 and 20 stars such as Raunak Sadhwani, Jonas Buhl Bjerre and Leon Mendonca.

Julius Baer Challenge takes place on 3rd and 4th September 2022 | Photo: Challengers Chess Tour

The Julius Baer Challenge (September 3 to 4) will be followed by the Magnus Academy Challenge (October 8 to 9) before the overall winner is crowned at the Challengers Final Four on October 29 and 30. Each tournament will carry a prize pot of $10,000.

Challengers Chess Tour 2022 format | Photo: Challengers Chess Tour

If that wasn’t all, in December the overall 2022 Tour Champion will go on to face 17-year-old Praggnanandhaa, the 2021 Tour Champion, in a finale to the season worth a further $10,000 in prize money. That match, named the Julius Baer Challenger Championship, will be held on site in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Total prize fund US$ 30000 + wildcard for Champions Chess Tour 2023 and a $10000 match against GM Praggnanandhaa in Tel Aviv, Israel | Photo: Challengers Chess Tour

Julius Baer supported last year’s Challengers Chess Tour, a unique gender-balanced chess event designed to promote new talent. Julius Baer is also a title partner for this year’s Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, which features the world’s best players.

 

Pragg won the 2021 Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour and earned qualification for the senior Meltwater tour, where he hit the headlines immediately in January with a memorable win over World Champion Magnus Carlsen.

Challengers Chess Tour 2022 schedule | Photo: Challengers Chess Tour

The series is part of a conscious effort by the Play Magnus Group and the Swiss private bank Julius Baer to develop young talent, advance gender equality in the sport and find the next big stars in the game.

GM Judit Polgar and GM Pepe Cuenca are the official commentators | Photo: Challengers Chess Tour

GM Judit Polgar, the strongest female player in history, will return to the commentary box to give expert insights on their players. She will be joined by popular Spanish commentator, GM Jose Fernando Cuenca Jimenez, famously known as GM Pepe Cuenca.

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