HOST: Bengal Chess Association

DESCRIPTION:
*     Top 12 players of the country will vie for the title.
*     Odisha International Master Padmini Rout with an 2437 Elo rating points will be the top-ranked participant and will look to defend her title.
*     Delhi IM Tania Sachdev is second in the ranking list followed by WGM Soumya Swaminathan of Pune as the top 12 will battle it out against each other in a round robin format of 11 rounds.
*     Top six of the National Premier will represent India in various overseas tournaments.
*     The winner of the Rs 6 lakh prize money tournament will bag Rs 1,75,000, while the runner-up will be richer by Rs 1,00,000.

PLAYERS IN FRAY: IM Padmini Rout (2437); IM Tania Sachdev (2385); WGM Soumya Swaminathan (2357); WFM R Vaishali (2298); WGM Bhakti Kulkarni (2257); WIM Pratyusha Bodda (2248); WIM Michelle Catherina (2242); WGM Swati Ghate (2230); V Varshini (2163); Neha Singh (2024); Priyanka K (2011); Priyanka Nutakki (1994).