Nagpur: At an age when most teenagers are busy with studies and extracurricular activities, 17-year-old Varad Gawande and 16-year-old Shanaya Shelkar took on the responsibility of organising a major sporting event, bringing together 258 chess players for the NextGen 3rd Open One Day Rapid Chess Tournament 2026.
The tournament, organised under NextGen Chess Tournaments with recognition from the Chess Association Nagpur, was held on September 27 at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Samajik Nyay Bhavan near Government ITI on Deekshabhoomi Road, Vasant Nagar.
The participation of 258 players made it the biggest NextGen tournament so far, marking a steady rise in the popularity of the initiative. The first edition had attracted around 148 players, while the second drew 233 participants.
The tournament was played under a 10-minute plus five-second increment time control. Players competed in the Open category as well as various age-group and special categories, including Under-7, Under-9, Under-12, Under-15 and Under-19, with separate boys’ and girls’ sections. Veterans, Unrated and Specially Abled categories were also included.
Teenagers take charge
What distinguished the tournament was not merely the number of participants but the age of its organisers.
Varad and Shanaya were involved in various aspects of the event, from planning and venue arrangements to registrations, communication with players and parents, publicity, tournament-day coordination and prize distribution.
Handling an event involving more than 250 participants required the teenagers to coordinate multiple activities simultaneously, while ensuring that players and their parents had the necessary facilities.
The tournament thus provided the young organisers with hands-on experience in leadership, event management, communication and teamwork, besides giving local chess players another competitive platform.
Bigger participation, bigger platform
The growth in participation across the three editions, from 148 to 233 and now 258 players, reflects the expanding reach of the NextGen tournaments.
The organisers offered cash prizes, trophies and medals in different categories. The Open category winner received a specially arranged 2-feet-10-inch championship trophy, which was brought from Pune.
Attention was also given to arrangements for players and accompanying parents, with seating, parking, drinking water, washrooms and a snacks and tea stall provided at the venue.
With the latest edition attracting its highest-ever participation, the organisers said the response has encouraged them to continue creating competitive opportunities for chess players in Nagpur, while demonstrating that teenagers can also take the lead in organising sporting events in the city.
