The Nagaland Chess Association under the Aegis of All India Chess Federation is organizing the first ever Grand Master Chess Coaching Camp from 27th to 29th March 2025 at Nagaland Olympic Association Hall, Kohima. The coach for the camp is GM Tejas Bakre, Grand Master and Fide Senior Trainer.
During the inaugural function, Vekukho Soho, Honorary Secretary, NCA welcomed the coach who is not only a Grand Master but also one of India’s top chess players, a professional coach and Fide senior trainer as well. Soho emphasized that the Nagaland Chess Association is now trying its best to organize as much chess events as possible with the objective to uplift the Naga chess players.
Underscoring the Senior National Seminar held for the first time in the month of November 2024, Soho added that 17 arbiters from Nagaland qualified and remarked that it is a big achievement as there was only one arbiter before that.
By organizing the first ever Grand master Chess Coaching, Soho hoped that the coaching camp will be a foundation stone for our chess players.
The Honorary Secretary also informed that Nagaland Chess Association will be organizing the first ever Nagaland Open Fide Rating Rapid Chess Tournament on the 24th and 25th of April 2025. Soho said that the event is expecting to bring in around 200 plus players from around the country. In 2026, NCA will also be hosting the North East Fide Rating Chess Championship.
NCA will also be organising bigger chess events too in the near future, Soho added.
In his speech, GM Tejas Bakre, Grand Master, Fide Senior Trainer and Coach, congratulated the team for hosting such events. Highlighting his involvement in chess since the age of 10, Bakre highlighted that he has been an avid chess player for over 34 years. He added that he became a Grand Master during a time where there were few chess events in India. He commended the increase in the number of events in the sport and encouraged the players to participate in such events.
“2024 has been the golden year for chess in India where we have won all the golden medals in the Olympics”, he remarked. The coach said that the prospects of chess in India is growing with time and with the activities in North East and even in Nagaland taking the steps to promote chess, he hoped that the state will also produce good players.
The three-day coaching camp will teach the players different methods, tactics, calculations and knowledge required. Bakre will be guiding the players with order techniques, softwares which the top players use.
Earlier during the inaugural function, Khrienuo Rupreo, Women Coordinator, NCA led the program and a word of prayer was pronounced by Sede Nagi, Treasurer, NCA.
