Master’s Touch: Koneru Humpy gives pointers to budding chess players in during the three-day coaching camp at Nazira on Tuesday. Picture by Mritunjoy Das

Dibrugarh, Feb. 17: A three-day chess coaching camp got under way at the BR Ambedkar Auditorium of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC), Assam Asset, in Nazira today.

Top chess players of India like Grandmaster and Padmashree and Arjuna Award winner Koneru Humpy, GM Sandipan Chandra, Arjuna awardee GM K. Sasikiran, GM Nilotpal Das and international master Lanka Ravi are the resourcepersons for the camp.

Altogether 45 state players who have featured in national level meets and around 100 students are participating in the camp, sponsored by ONGC.

Humpy and Sasikiran began with a simultaneous chess playing session with state players like Prajit Phukon, Pallab Dutta, Madhab Sarmah and Khudrat Dahotia, in the morning.

The training module started in the afternoon.

Humpy also taught the game using an LCD projector.

“We have found the students and players very talented here. If nurtured properly they have a bright future,” said IM Lanka Ravi, who is also the games co-ordinator of the camp.

Ravi, Chandra and Nilotpal concentrated on teaching the students the basics of the game, which include 1001 tips to checkmate.

There will be two sessions each day. The first session will be from 9am to 1pm while the second session will be from 3pm to 5pm.

Kushal Chandra Mech, the president of the Sivasagar District Chess Association and a state chess player, welcomed the resourcepersons.

Gyaneswar Sakarwal, general manager (land acquisition) of ONGC, Assam Asset, Rajendra Pal Gautam, general manager (material management), Bikash Tayal, general manager (Assam renewal project) were also present at the inauguration.

Pradip Saharia, the group general manager (human resource) of ONGC, felicitated the resourcepersons.

“It is a very good opportunity for our young chess players. We do hope that the students will be able to enhance their skills,” said Rajen Gogoi, a national arbiter from Assam.