UP State Senior Chess Championship 2026-27 inaugurated at JMSIT Ghaziabad

The UP State Senior Chess Championship 2026-27 has been inaugurated at JMS Institute of Technology (JMSIT) in Ghaziabad. Organised by the UP Chess Sports Association in association with the institute, the four-day event brings together players from districts across Uttar Pradesh. Games got under way alongside the opening programme.

Guests and institute representatives at the opening

According to the reporter, the chief guest was Harendra Malik, SHO of Masuri police station in Ghaziabad, while JMSIT chairman Rakesh Singhal chaired the programme. The ceremony included a lamp-lighting and addresses on sportsmanship, discipline and strategic thinking. No verbatim quotation from a speaker was supplied.

The reporter also named the institute’s secretary general Dr Himanshu Singhal, secretary Dr Rohan Singhal, finance secretary Dr Ayush Singhal, executive director Dr A.K. Chauhan, director Dr Aniruddha Biswas and principal Dr Praveen Gupta. Deputy sports officer Madhu Awasthi, UP Chess Sports Association joint secretary Atul Nigam, Hapur association president Dr Ayush Singhal, Anand Singh and Surendra Singh Chauhan were also mentioned among those present.

Players from across the state

The districts listed in the reporter’s account include Ghaziabad, Meerut, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Ballia, Hapur, Noida, Saharanpur, Mathura, Jhansi, Bijnor, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Etawah, Agra and Mainpuri. The reporter described participants as top-four qualifiers at district level. The organisers’ official circular says the top four players recommended by a district association are treated as regular entries; its eligibility rules also provide for other categories and special entries.

The event banner describes the championship as an international-rating event. According to the reporter, eligible players’ performances may affect their FIDE ratings. That does not mean every participant already has a FIDE rating or that every rating will necessarily change.

Route to the national championship

The UP Chess Sports Association’s official circular states that the first four selected players will represent Uttar Pradesh in the 2026-27 National Chess Championship. The All India Chess Federation’s national calendar lists the championship in Varanasi beginning in November 2026. Selection is still to come; this opening report does not announce any winners or final standings.