JAMMU, OCT 6: Jharkhand’s Adhiraj Mitra and Delhi’s Prishita Gupta emerged champions in the boys’ and girls’ sections respectively at the 36th National U-17 Boys and Girls Chess Championship, bringing to a close a fiercely contested national-level tournament that brought together 286 young chess players from 30 States and Union Territories, including 38 participants from Jammu and Kashmir.
The championship, organised by the All J&K Chess Association under the aegis of the J&K Sports Council on behalf of the All India Chess Federation (AICF), was held at Kangra Fort Banquets and Resorts, Barnai, Jammu. Besides the participating players, around 200 coaches, managers, arbiters and accompanying persons were associated with the event, underlining its scale and importance on the national junior chess calendar.
In the open section, Haridev S of Tamil Nadu finished runner-up, while Vedant Garg of Chandigarh secured third position. In the girls’ category, Shivamshika G of Telangana claimed second place, followed by Saranya Devi Narahari of Andhra Pradesh in third position.
The closing ceremony witnessed a major incentive for the young champions, with ₹9 lakh in cash awards distributed among the winners by Rajya Sabha MP and J&K BJP President Sat Sharma, along with Atul Kumar Gupta and Bashir Ahmad, DSO Jammu, J&K Sports Council.
The tournament also opened a significant international pathway for the top performers. The top three boys and girls have been selected for participation in the World, Asian and Commonwealth events, with their international exposure in 2027 set to receive substantial institutional backing. The Sports Authority of India will provide sponsorship for four international tours, including the World Championship, while the All India Chess Federation will provide sponsorship support ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh to the selected players.
The championship was conducted under the supervision of Atul Kumar Gupta, Chairman, Planning and Development Commission of the All India Chess Federation and Director of the tournament, ensuring coordination of the competition at the national level.
The event was conducted under the FIDE Laws of Chess and Swiss-system format, with players competing across 11 rounds. The technical team was headed by Chief Arbiter Jismon Mathew of Kerala, with Deputy Chief Arbiter Arbind Singh of Bihar and Ovais from Kerala, supported by around 13 additional arbiters drawn from different parts of the country.
Among those present at the closing ceremony were Meenal Gupta, President, All J&K Chess Association; Sanjeev Gupta, Co-convener, J&K BJP Cell; Comrade Parvez, Treasurer, AJKCA; Ashiq Ahmad, Chief Coordinator, AJKCA; Baldev Raj, former President, AJKCA; and Arvindu, Coordinator, AJKCA, among others.
The participating players, coaches and accompanying officials also appreciated the ambience, arrangements and hospitality extended by the All J&K Chess Association, marking the Jammu championship as a significant platform for nurturing India’s next generation of competitive chess talent.
