Our Correspondent
Kohima | July 3
The four day long 17th Nagaland State Chess Championship 2018 under the aegis of Nagaland Chess Association (NCA) got underway here today at Red Cross Society conference hall.
It was formally declared open by NCA president P. Khezhie. He said that the game of chess is one of the most popular games in the world, adding that Chess is a game that everyone can play both young and old as there is no age bar in chess.
Playing chess is a kind of brain exercise which enhances the quality of one’s intelligent. It increases creativities and improve one’s memories. It also increases skills in problem solving and improves reading skills as well as improves in concentration.
In India, today, Chess is a discipline of sports which it is in “A” category, which is equally popular and important as football, cricket, boxing, wrestling etc. as such in some states chess is included as compulsory subject in school.
Khezhie said that from this tournament, the NCA would select the top four players to represent the state in the national level 2018.
Highlighting the achievement of the Association, he said it has successfully produced 17 Elo rated players. Riiguolie Zumvu was the first player to get his Elo rating in 1995.
ELO rated player Mughaho Awomi is the highest Elo rated player having Elo rating 1900 plus at present.
Moreover, Awomi is the only Naga player from NCA who won the champion several times from National levels.
The first champion who got under 2000 rating was in 2010 at New Delhi, 2nd time champion 2011 at Jammu and third in 2014 at Hyderabad.
Awomi has qualified as national chess instructor and also qualified and awarded as a national arbiter by All India Chess Federation and FIDE in 2017 at New Delhi.
Around 50 players registered for this championship, which will go on till July 6.
The championship is sponsored by M/S V. Khamo & Sons Company, M/S Viu Belho & Sons Company and M/S Thepfuvio Zatsu Enterprises in partnership with State Bank of India main branch Kohima, Life Insurance Corporation Kohima and Vijaya Bank Kohima.
