FIDE rated Team Match: Northern Ireland v India. Saturday 21 Feb 2026

FIDE rated Team Match: Northern Ireland v India

Saturday 21 Feb 2026

10:15 to 16:30

A Bangor Chess Club initiative, celebrating the outstanding contribution that players from the local Indian community have made to our chess scene in Northern Ireland.

Venue hire and awards are generously supported by Ards & North Down Borough Council.

Entry is free for participants.

Trophies and medals will be awarded.

Location: Queen’s Hall, 13 West Street, Newtownards, BT23 4EN

Morning rapid games:

4 rounds of 10+5 (FIDE rated)

Players will face 4 different opponents in the morning rounds. For morning games only, each nation will be split into 4 teams, e.g. India 1 will play NI 1, NI 2, NI 3 and NI 4.  Players will be ranked on each team by exact FIDE rapid rating. The arbiters will arrange this board order in advance. The 4 highest rated Indian players will be placed on board 1 in India 1, board 1 in India 2, board 1 in India 3, board 1 in India 4. Then the 5th to 8th highest rated players will take board 2 on India 1, Board 2 in India 2, Board 2 in India 3, Board 2 in India 4 etc. This format will be duplicated for the 4 NI teams.

Timetable for rapid games:

10:15 to 10:45

10:50 to 11:20

11:25 to 11:55

12:00 to 12:30

Afternoon games:

1:30 to 4:30 back-to-back

5 round non-rated blitz. Top players from each country will play each other 5 times, alternating colours and each round will see a reduction in time. NI Board 1 v India Board 1, NI Board 2 v India Board 2, etc…

Time controls:

Round 1 at 10+0

Round 2 at 5+5

Round 3 at 5+3 time delay

Round 4 at 5+0

Round 5 at 3+2

Each player can score a maximum of 9 points on the day (4 points in rapid and 5 points in blitz). Each player’s final score will be added to their nation’s grand total.

The nation with the most points at the end of the day will receive 20

gold medals for each player. The nation that comes 2nd will receive 20 silver medals for each player. There will also be trophies awarded to the best team in the morning rapid and to the best overall players across the 9 rounds.

As at 1 November 2025, we have 17 players confirmed for India, with 3 places remaining.

There will be a maximum of 40 players participating, 20 in each nation, divisible by 4 to ensure 4 teams of equal numbers per nation.

Entries to Arbiters B Jamison or C Dorrian fidechessni@gmail.com

17 confirmed Indian players:

Mandar Tahmankar

Alwin Micheal (age 12)

Payel Guha

Aashay Kher

Amol Thoke

Anayraj Tripathi (age 15)

Aharshi Banerjee (age 13)

Ashish Shambharkar

Advait Tahmankar

Shlok Thoke (age 10)

Rory Miller (age 14)

Suraj Tirupati

Tanish Thoke (age 8)

Naga Ganja  (reserve parent)

Abhi Ganja (age 9)

Ayush Shambharkar (age 12)

Aarin Micheal (age 8)