Nagpur: In an inspiring example of youthful initiative and entrepreneurial spirit, two teenagers from Nagpur, Varad Gawande (17) and Shanaya Shelkar (16), are making a mark in the city’s chess circuit by independently organising large-scale tournaments and creating competitive platforms for chess enthusiasts.
Through their initiative, NextGen Chess, the duo has successfully organised three Open One Day Rapid Chess Tournaments, steadily increasing participation with each event. Their first tournament attracted 148 players, the second saw participation rise to 233, while the third drew an impressive 258 participants.
The turnout at the third edition made it one of Nagpur’s largest non-FIDE rapid chess tournaments in terms of participation, underlining the growing response to their efforts.
At an age when most youngsters are occupied with academics and conventional extracurricular pursuits, Varad and Shanaya have taken on the challenging task of organising competitive sporting events. Their responsibilities include managing registrations and participants, coordinating tournament arrangements and ensuring that players from different age groups get an opportunity to compete.
Their achievement reflects not only their enthusiasm for chess but also their organisational abilities, leadership qualities and capacity to manage events involving hundreds of participants. By taking the initiative at such a young age, they are also demonstrating how young people can contribute to the promotion of sports at the grassroots level.
Fourth Tournament on November 10
Encouraged by the response to their first three events, the organisers are now preparing for the fourth Open One Day Rapid Chess Tournament, scheduled to be held on November 10, 2026.
Through NextGen Chess, the duo aims to sustain the momentum, attract more participants and provide chess players with regular opportunities to test their skills in a competitive environment. Their initiative is emerging as a promising effort to nurture chess talent and strengthen the city’s chess culture.
