The FIDE World Junior Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2026 concluded in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, with Khumoyun Begmuratov, Eline Roebers, Pranav V and Valeria Kleymenova winning the four world titles.
Held at Danat Al Ain Resort from 1–7 November 2026, the championships brought together 185 players from 40 countries to compete in the Open and Girls Under-20 sections.
The event was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Zayed for Good Foundation and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. It was organised by Al Ain Chess & Mind Games Club, in cooperation with the UAE Chess Federation, under FIDE supervision.
Begmuratov and Roebers Capture Rapid Titles
Uzbekistan’s GM Khumoyun Begmuratov secured the Open rapid title with an unbeaten 7½/9, recording six wins and three draws. India’s GM Pranav V claimed silver and Azerbaijan’s IM Read Samadov took bronze on tiebreaks, both scoring seven points.
Armenia’s IM Robert Piliposyan and IM Aleks Sahakyan also finished with seven points, securing fourth and fifth places respectively.
In the Girls rapid competition, IM Eline Roebers of the Netherlands won gold with 7/9. Uzbekistan’s WGM Umida Omonova took silver ahead of WIM Marina Kuznetsova, representing FIDE, on tiebreaks. Both scored 6½ points, as did fourth-placed WIM Elnaz Kaliakhmet and fifth-placed WGM Afruza Khamdamova.
Open Rapid — Main Prize Winners
| Place | Player | Federation | Points | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | GM Khumoyun Begmuratov | Uzbekistan | 7½/9 | USD 2,000 |
| 2nd | GM Pranav V | India | 7/9 | USD 1,500 |
| 3rd | IM Read Samadov | Azerbaijan | 7/9 | USD 1,000 |
| 4th | IM Robert Piliposyan | Armenia | 7/9 | USD 800 |
| 5th | IM Aleks Sahakyan | Armenia | 7/9 | USD 700 |
Girls Rapid — Main Prize Winners
| Place | Player | Federation | Points | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | IM Eline Roebers | Netherlands | 7/9 | USD 2,000 |
| 2nd | WGM Umida Omonova | Uzbekistan | 6½/9 | USD 1,500 |
| 3rd | WIM Marina Kuznetsova | FIDE | 6½/9 | USD 1,000 |
| 4th | WIM Elnaz Kaliakhmet | Kazakhstan | 6½/9 | USD 800 |
| 5th | WGM Afruza Khamdamova | Uzbekistan | 6½/9 | USD 700 |
His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs, made the ceremonial first move of the final rapid round and honoured the winners.
Hisham Ali Al Taher, Secretary-General of the Asian Chess Federation, Managing Director and CEO of Al Ain Chess & Mind Games Club, and Tournament Director, joined the trophy and medal presentations alongside His Excellency Counsellor Yousif Al Afreet Al Kuwaiti, Board Member and Treasurer of the club.
Pranav Adds Blitz Gold to Rapid Silver
India’s GM Pranav V followed his rapid silver medal with the Open blitz title, scoring 10½/13. Kyrgyzstan’s IM Eldiyar Orozbaev secured silver and Armenia’s IM Robert Piliposyan earned bronze, both with 9½ points.
Syria’s FM Mazen Fandi finished fourth with 9½ points, level on points with the silver and bronze medallists. Armenia’s IM Aleks Sahakyan placed fifth with nine points.
In the Girls blitz championship, WGM Valeria Kleymenova, representing FIDE, claimed gold with 10/13. Uzbekistan’s WGM Afruza Khamdamova won silver ahead of Russia’s WFM Veronika Iudina on tiebreaks after both scored 9½ points.
India’s WIM Aamuktha Guntaka and Kazakhstan’s WIM Zarina Nurgaliyeva completed the top five with nine points each.
Open Blitz — Main Prize Winners
| Place | Player | Federation | Points | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | GM Pranav V | India | 10½/13 | USD 2,000 |
| 2nd | IM Eldiyar Orozbaev | Kyrgyzstan | 9½/13 | USD 1,500 |
| 3rd | IM Robert Piliposyan | Armenia | 9½/13 | USD 1,000 |
| 4th | FM Mazen Fandi | Syria | 9½/13 | USD 800 |
| 5th | IM Aleks Sahakyan | Armenia | 9/13 | USD 700 |
Girls Blitz — Main Prize Winners
| Place | Player | Federation | Points | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | WGM Valeria Kleymenova | FIDE | 10/13 | USD 2,000 |
| 2nd | WGM Afruza Khamdamova | Uzbekistan | 9½/13 | USD 1,500 |
| 3rd | WFM Veronika Iudina | Russia | 9½/13 | USD 1,000 |
| 4th | WIM Aamuktha Guntaka | India | 9/13 | USD 800 |
| 5th | WIM Zarina Nurgaliyeva | Kazakhstan | 9/13 | USD 700 |
Special Awards Recognise Young Talent
In addition to the main prizes, awards recognised performances in the Under-16, Under-12 and Under-8 categories, alongside prizes for Arab players and members of Al Ain Chess Club.
Open Rapid — Special Prizes
| Award | Winner | Federation | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Under-16 | FM Mazen Fandi | Syria | USD 500 |
| Best Under-12 | IM Abdalrahman Sameh Mohamed | Egypt | USD 500 |
| Best Under-8 | Farooq Mohammad Umar | India | USD 500 |
| Best Arab Player | AIM Sean Adrich Obado | UAE | USD 400 |
| Best Al Ain Chess Club Player | Ghaith Saeed Alnuaimi | UAE | USD 400 |
Girls Rapid — Special Prizes
| Award | Winner | Federation | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Under-16 | WFM Veronika Iudina | Russia | USD 500 |
| Best Under-12 | WCM Amaya Agarwal | England | USD 500 |
| Best Under-8 | Asma Asalieh | Syria | USD 500 |
| Best Arab Player | WGM Rouda Essa Alserkal | UAE | USD 400 |
| Best Al Ain Chess Club Player | Sheikha Abdulla Almeraikhi | UAE | USD 400 |
Open Blitz — Special Prizes
| Award | Winner | Federation | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Under-16 | GM Khumoyun Begmuratov | Uzbekistan | USD 500 |
| Best Under-12 | IM Abdalrahman Sameh Mohamed | Egypt | USD 500 |
| Best Under-8 | Ahyan Haseeb | India | USD 500 |
| Best Arab Player | CM Rashid Husain Alhammadi | UAE | USD 400 |
| Best Al Ain Chess Club Player | Ghaith Saeed Alnuaimi | UAE | USD 400 |
Girls Blitz — Special Prizes
| Award | Winner | Federation | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Under-16 | WIM Elnaz Kaliakhmet | Kazakhstan | USD 500 |
| Best Under-12 | Mariam Khalifa Alqubaisi | UAE | USD 500 |
| Best Under-8 | Asma Asalieh | Syria | USD 500 |
| Best Arab Player | WCM Ahoud Eisa Mohamed | UAE | USD 400 |
| Best Al Ain Chess Club Player | WCM Zainab Darwish Almaamari | UAE | USD 400 |
ACF President Crowns the Blitz Champions
Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Sultan bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan, President of the Asian Chess Federation, Chairman of Al Ain Chess & Mind Games Club and Chairman of the Organising Committee, crowned the blitz champions at the closing ceremony on 6 November.
The ceremony was attended by Javier Ochoa de Echagüen, FIDE representative and President of the Ibero-American Chess Federation, alongside federation presidents, officials and representatives of the participating delegations.
The championships continued Al Ain’s tradition of hosting major international chess events, providing young players with an opportunity to compete for world honours and gain experience on the international stage.