USD 50,555 raised from Viswanathan Anand and four Grandmasters COVID relief fund matches

By IANS

CHENNAI: A sum of $50,555 was raised by online chess game site www.chess.com towards Covid-19 relief in India by organising chess games featuring five time World Chess Champion Grandmaster (GM) Viswanathan Anand and four other GMs Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, Nihal Sarin and R.Praggnanandhaa recently, said an official.

The five GMs played simultaneous games online against those who had paid the necessary fees ($150 to play against Anand and $25 to play against others).

During the course of the games, donations poured in, taking the total to $50,555 against an earlier target of $15,000.

A big surprise of the day was when International Master Levy Rozman (@GothamChess) donated $10,000, the Chess.com official said.

While 70 per cent of the funds raised will be given to Red Cross India the balance 30 per cent will be given to All India Chess Federation (AICF), a Chess.com official had told IANS earlier.

Recently the AICF Secretary told IANS that a sum of Rs 60 lakh has been raised till date under the Checkmate Covid initiative to provide financial assistance to chess community members affected by Covid-19.

According to AICF’s list of donors include, former Tamil Nadu State Chess Champion and a businessman S.Kailasanathan leads the table donating Rs 5 lakh and is followed by GM Arjun Erigaisi donating Rs 1 lakh.

The AICF has provided Rs 11 lakh and Maharashtra Chess Association has contributed Rs 5 lakh while the names of other state associations including the cash rich ones were missing from the donor’s list.

According to AICF, Rs 30 lakh has been committed by various entities and the amount is yet to be credited to its bank account.

Meanwhile, financial assistance was rendered to nine players or their families out of the collected Checkmate Covid fund by AICF.