Patna, Dec 14: The Chess Association of Bihar is set to organise Health Institute Cup Chess Championship from Saturday on the premises of Indian Institute of Health Education & Research.

The chess tournament, which will be open to participants from Jharkhand, Bengal, Odisha, Northeast and Bihar, will conclude on December 21.

At a news meet today, organising committee president Anil Sulabh said: “The tournament will be open to participants of all ages. It will be inaugurated by food and civil supplies minister Shyam Rajak.”

The five-day tournament will held at the auditorium of Indian Institute of Health Education & Research in Beur. Participants, who rank till the 50th, will be awarded a cash prize.

The organisers believe the tournament will be a good opportunity for the participants to showcase their skills. The total cash prize up for grabs at the tournament is Rs 2 lakh, which would be distributed among the participants.

The winner will receive Rs 25,000, the first runner-up would get Rs 15,000. The second runner-up would get Rs 10,000. Participants, who secure positions between six and 15, would be awarded Rs 3,000 each.

Organising committee secretary Gopal Prasad said the tournament would open gates for several chess players across the country to exhibit their skills.

The tournament will span through eight rounds, after which the winner would be adjudged. The first round will follow soon after the tournament is inaugurated.

Prasad said persons, interested to take part in the tournament can do so with an entry fee of Rs 1,000. The fee would, however, be relaxed for veterans and differently abled persons, said the organisers. Prasad added that interested participants can send in their entry to the Indian Institute of Health Education & Research office, latest by December 13.

The players at the tournament would have to negotiate the eight rounds Swiss League System according to the international chess rules of the World Chess Organisation. The players would, however, need to bring their own chess clocks.

The clocks consist of two adjacent clocks and buttons to stop one clock while starting the other so that the two component clocks never run simultaneously.

On the chess tournament, Bihar Chess Association members said although chess players from the state have a huge potential in the game, they lack a favourable condition to showcase and hone their skills.