Young Minds, Big Moves: Nagpur youngsters use NextGenChess to bring players back to the board

NexGenChess co-founders Shanaya Shelkar and Varad Gawande with a guest at the prize distribution ceremony of the inaugural NexGen Open One Day Rapid Chess Tournament in Nagpur, which attracted 148 participants. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

In an age when a chess opponent is never more than a few clicks away, two youngsters in Nagpur are trying to get people to put down their phones and sit across from each other.

Chess has gone digital in a big way. Online platforms add millions of new users and host billions of games every quarter.

The coach, too, is no longer necessarily a person across the table. AI tools can flag a blunder as it happens, identify a player’s weaknesses and build a study plan around them. Analysis once reserved for grandmasters is now accessible to schoolchildren and working professionals alike.

Yet Shanaya Shelkar and Varad Gawande believe nothing quite replaces the experience of sitting across a physical board, watching an opponent contemplate a move and feeling the tension of a ticking chess clock.

The two students are the driving force behind NextGenChess, Nagpur’s second-biggest non-FIDE tournament series and a student-run initiative recognised by the Chess Association of Nagpur. The idea took shape at an association meeting, where discussions centred on the lack of tournaments catering to the 20-45 age group and the U-19 and U-17 categories.

“Many players were losing interest due to a lack of proper categories and opportunities,” Shanaya told Sportstar.

A Class 12 student at Vivekananda Junior College, Shanaya is also a FIDE-rated player. Varad, meanwhile, is a first-year BCom (Hons) student pursuing ACCA at Global Business School & Research Centre, DY Patil.

Both double up as chess coaches, balancing their studies, tournaments and coaching commitments by sharing the workload. If Varad is unavailable for a student’s time slot, Shanaya takes over the session, and vice versa.

NexGenChess felicitated the top 10 performers at the NexGen 2nd Open One Day Rapid Chess Tournament, presenting prize money and trophies across age categories ranging from Under-7 to 20-45. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Launched in May 2026 with 148 participants, the series grew to 233 players by late June. Inclusive brackets for under-7s, veterans and specially-abled players helped widen its appeal. But attracting participants was only half the battle; sustaining the series brought its own challenges.

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Sponsorship became a hurdle ahead of the third edition. With the dates confirmed late, the founders in two different cities and the brochure going out at the last minute, they could not approach sponsors who had backed the first two editions in time. Efforts to bring in new sponsors also came up short.

A week later, the founders decided to fund the event themselves, with support from Shanaya’s father, who works at NTPC. In chess terms, it was a calculated sacrifice: giving up a comfortable position in pursuit of a bigger gain.

The gamble paid off. A bigger prize pool, cash awards and improved facilities helped push entries to 258 within five months.

Every board was occupied at the NexGen 2nd Open One Day Rapid Chess Tournament in Nagpur, as players across age groups battled it out over the chessboard. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Players paid Rs 500 to compete in the air-conditioned hall or Rs 300 for the non-AC venue. The rapid format featured eight rounds, split into two heats of four, with a break in between. Each player had 10 minutes on the clock, with a five-second increment per move.

The Open and Veteran 50+ categories shared prize money of Rs 10,850, with the Open winner taking home Rs 1500 and a trophy.

The tournament also had its share of standout performances. Thirteen-year-old Swaraj Mishra won the Open with 7.5 points out of eight. Sahejveer Singh Maras and Sai Sharma, the top U-19 player, finished with seven points each, while Harsh Dayal won the specially-abled category with five points.

Varad and Shanaya’s next move is already on the board, with another NextGenChess tournament confirmed in Pune.

“Being young should not stop us from pursuing our interests, as long as we remain responsible towards our education,” Varad says.

For these youngsters, the opening phase is complete. The middlegame now begins.

Published on Oct 30, 2026

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