Asian Junior Chess: Vivaan wins Rapid crown with late surge; Shohradova bags Girls’ title

Mumbai, Aug 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Vivaan Vishal and Shohradova Lala emerged champions in the Open and Girls' sections as India and Turkmenistan shared the top honours in the Asian Junior Rapid Chess Championship 2026 at the ITC Maratha Sheraton, Mumbai, on Wednesday.

The Open Championship witnessed a dramatic turnaround on the final day, with halfway leaders, Akhilbay Imangali of Kazakhstan and Madhavendra Pratap Sharma of India, suffering crucial defeats in the concluding rounds, throwing the title race wide open.

Capitalising on the opportunity was India's Vivaan Vishal, who registered a hat-trick of victories in the final three rounds to clinch the Asian Junior Open Rapid Championship title outright with an impressive score of 6 points from 7 rounds.

The triumph was particularly noteworthy as Vivaan, rated 2149, finished ahead of a strong field that included several International Masters, underlining his immense potential and establishing him as a force to reckon with in the future.

International Masters (IM) Akshay Borgaonkar and Apoorv Kamble also finished strongly, both scoring 5 points from seven rounds. However, superior tie-break scores enabled Akshay to secure the silver medal, while Apoorv had to settle for the bronze medal.

In the Girls' Rapid Championship, the battle for the title ultimately came down to a thrilling contest between Shohradova Lala of Turkmenistan and Pratitee Bordoloi of India. Both players produced consistent performances throughout the tournament and finished with identical scores of 6 points from 7 rounds.

With scores level, the championship was decided on tie-breaks, where Shohradova edged ahead to claim the coveted Asian Junior Girls Rapid Championship crown. Pratitee Bordoloi earned the silver medal after a commendable performance, while India's Prishita Gupta secured the bronze medal.

The prizes were distributed by Dr. Parinay Fuke, President of the Maharashtra Chess Association, who congratulated the winners and participants for their spirited performances.

The focus now shifts to the Classical Championship, which commences tomorrow and is expected to witness another exciting battle among Asia's leading junior chess talents.

The championship is being organised by the Maharashtra Chess Association at the ITC Maratha Sheraton, Mumbai, under the aegis of the All India Chess Federation and the Asian Chess Federation.

Source: IANS