Vimana City's
2nd International
FIDE Rated Open
Compete. Improve. Earn your rating.
Five days of serious chess in Thanjavur, the city of the Big Temple · 5–9 August 2026
Until the first move on 5 August
Reserve Your Place 📄 Download BrochureFull prize list, rules and schedule How to registerOrganised by Golden Square Chess Academy · Affiliated to Thanjavur District Chess Association
Thanjavur's own international open, back for a second year — and one of very few FIDE rated internationals held in the Delta districts.
The Prize Fund
₹0
Eleven lakh rupees, four electric bikes and two hundred and twenty awards — across eleven separate prize lists.
On the Prize Table
One for the winner of each rating band, and one for the winner of the unrated section.
Champion, runner-up and third place, every rating band, and every age category from Under 7 to Under 15 — boys and girls awarded separately.
Prize images are representative. Exact models are confirmed at the prize distribution ceremony.
See the full prize list
Indian income tax rules are applicable to all prizes.
Find the Right CategoryEntries · English · தமிழ் · हिन्दी
Categories
A section for every level of play.
Rated at 1800, or picking up a first rating this August — there is a field here that belongs to you, and its own prize list waiting at the end of it.
Boys and girls are awarded separately in every age category.
Every player is measured against the field they belong to. Eleven separate prize lists, and a place on one of them for players of all kinds.
The Tournament
Five days that count.
At the Venue
You bring the chess.
We look after the rest.
See the playing hall
See the rooms
Where everyone stays
Food stalls run at the venue throughout the tournament at reasonable cost.
* Food and refreshments are available at the venue at reasonable cost. Beds are available on rent at the accommodation site, charged at the desk. Accompanying persons pay ₹700 for the entire tournament. Bedsheets and a pillow are worth bringing from home.
Ask About AccommodationAccommodation desk · English · தமிழ் · हिन्दी
Inside the Hall
What the five days
actually look like.
On the morning of 5 August you are given a board number and sit down opposite someone you have never met.
There is a clock between you, and an arbiter walking the hall. You do that nine times over five days, against players from across the country.
Every result goes to FIDE, so the five days leave something behind that is yours — a rating, or the beginning of one. Family and friends are welcome to stay at the venue too.
Questions we are always glad to answer
Tournament Directors
Mr. Bala Kowshi D.S — Secretary, GSCA
Mr. Kathereswaran A — Treasurer, GSCA
You will be speaking to the organisers themselves
How It Is Played
Nine rounds. Five days.
Schedule
FIDE Rated Blitz
₹2,00,000A separate rated Blitz on the free afternoon of 8 August, with its own entry fee and its own prize list.
Buchholz tie-break. In case of a tie, prizes are not shared. As per AICF regulations, wrist watches are not permitted while playing in FIDE rated events.
Getting Here
Thanjavur. Worth the journey.
A thousand years of Chola stone, on the main Chennai–Rameswaram line, with the playing hall one kilometre from the New Bus Stand.
Brihadeeswarar Temple has stood for more than a thousand years — a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the vimana this tournament is named for. Most families add a morning for it.
Kamala Subramaniam Matric. Hr. Sec. School
Pudukkottai Road
Thanjavur – 613 007
↗ Open in Google Maps
Arrive a day early
Accommodation opens from 4:00 PM on 4 August, the evening before play begins. Travel overnight, sleep at the venue, and walk to your board in the morning — no early train to catch on day one.
By road
Driving times from Google Maps
By train — arriving before round one
Depart the night of Tue 4 Aug · reach Thanjavur Junction before the 9:00 AM inaugural on Wed 5 Aug
Timings are indicative for 4–5 August 2026. Please reconfirm on IRCTC before booking. From Rameswaram, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram or Visakhapatnam there is no direct overnight service — travel to Chennai Egmore, Trichy or Madurai and connect from there. Message us and we will help you pick the train.
By bus
Government TNSTC / SETC and private operators run frequently to Thanjavur from across Tamil Nadu.
From most major cities the simplest route is to Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) first — buses run through the night — then Trichy to Thanjavur, a 60 km hop with departures every few minutes. All services terminate at Thanjavur New Bus Stand.
The last kilometre
Autos, taxis and cabs are available at both the station and the bus stand at any hour. Show the driver the map pin above — every local driver knows the school.
↗ Show the venue on Google MapsHotels nearby, and places to see
🛎️ Many more hotels and lodges sit within a couple of kilometres of the hall, across a wide range of budgets — from simple rooms to full-service stays. Tell us your budget on WhatsApp and we will point you to the right ones.
If the family is travelling anyway
Entry
Three steps. About two minutes.
₹5,500 to enter. ₹11,00,001 on the table.
Not sure about any of it? Message us and we will do it with you.
Bank transfer and demand draft details
DD in favour of "Golden Square Chess Academy"
Pay through an online portal
Entries stay open until play begins on the morning of 5 August. A message is enough to hold a place while you decide.
What happens when you message us
You are messaging the organisers directly — the same people who will be in the hall on 5 August.
Send us a message and we will walk you through it