Prime Engage Jr. Chess Championship: Eight Cities Down, Sixteen to Go

More than 1,750 young chess players have already competed in the Prime Engage Jr. Chess Championship, the 24-city national series currently travelling across India. Eight cities are complete. Sixteen are still to come.

The championship is built as a structured competitive pathway rather than a series of standalone tournaments. City qualifiers feed into zonal championships across four competitive zones, which lead to a national grand finale. Four age categories run in every city — Under 8, Under 10, Under 12 and Under 16 — and the pan-India prize pool stands at ₹10,00,000, with ₹29,000 in cash prizes awarded at each city edition.

Eight cities, 1,750+ players

The championship opened in Jabalpur on 13 June 2026, moved to Kochi on 20 June and Delhi on 27 June, and reached Kolkata on 18 July. Those first four cities alone drew more than 870 young players and an on-ground audience of over 2,000 parents, siblings, coaches and school representatives.

Maharashtra followed in strength: Mumbai with 250 participants, Pune with 214 and Nagpur with 205. Kolkata remains the largest single edition so far, with 270 participants and more than 500 parents and siblings in the hall.

Gwalior closed the first half of the journey as the eighth city, returning the championship to Madhya Pradesh where it began. The edition drew 214 participants and more than 350 families to the venue.

Grandmasters and trainers at the board

Each city edition is anchored by chief guests drawn from the local chess community. Jabalpur was inaugurated by International Master Akshat Khamparia. Kolkata was headlined by Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua, one of the most recognised names in Indian chess. Kochi welcomed Unnikrishnan BK, Senior Vice President of Asianet News Network.

Pune welcomed Rajendra Konde, Vice President of the Maharashtra Chess Association, alongside Jayant Gokhale, FIDE Trainer and coach of Grandmaster Abhimanyu Puranik.

The Gwalior edition was graced by Satinder Pannu, Civil Judge, who opened play and presented the awards — a reminder of how far beyond the chess community these city editions now reach.

For an eight-year-old playing a first competitive tournament, receiving a medal from a Grandmaster is not a small moment.

Portronics, Yes Securities and the brands backing junior chess

The championship travels with a national sponsor group committed across all 24 cities, and two names anchor it.

Portronics, the consumer technology brand, comes on board as the official gadget partner of the Prime Engage Jr. Chess Championship, placing a technology brand alongside a format built on concentration, preparation and problem solving.

Yes Securities is the official financial literacy partner, associating with the championship through The Wize Whispers, its financial literacy initiative. The fit is a natural one: chess and financial thinking both reward patience, risk assessment and planning several moves ahead, and the championship reaches exactly the audience that initiative is built for — young students and their parents.

They are joined by Too Yumm! as smart snacking partner and Radio City as radio partner.

That sponsor backing is what allows the championship to keep entry accessible at ₹799 per child while maintaining a ₹10,00,000 prize pool and a consistent production standard in all 24 cities.

Next stop: Thiruvananthapuram

The journey now moves south before turning north. Thiruvananthapuram hosts on 5 September 2026, followed by Hyderabad on 6 September, Lucknow on 13 September and Kolhapur on 27 September. Each edition runs all four age categories.

Each city adds a new group of players to the national pool, and the championship’s Instagram channel has crossed 200,000 views as families follow results, photographs and city announcements between editions.

Why the format works for families

The multi-city structure solves a practical problem in junior chess. A national-level tournament usually requires travel, accommodation and time off school before a child has played a single competitive game. Here, the first stage happens in the child’s own city.

Only players who progress travel further, to the zonal championships and then the national grand finale. Parents get a low-commitment entry point, players get a clear ladder to climb, and the championship builds a genuinely national field rather than one drawn from a handful of established chess centres.

Enter the championship

The Prime Engage Jr. Chess Championship continues across 24 cities in 2026, with city qualifiers leading into zonal championships and a national grand finale. Registration, city dates and category details for the Jr. Chess Championship are available online, and every city’s results and photographs are posted on @chess_with_primeengage on Instagram.

For brand partnership and participation enquiries, contact rahul@primeengage.in or +91 87672 72233.