Mumbai, 17 August 2026:
Host nation India enjoyed a dream start to the Asian Junior Chess Championship 2026 as its players dominated both the Open and Girls Blitz Championships, securing the top three positions in each category on the opening day of the prestigious event being held at the ITC Maratha Sheraton, Mumbai.
The championship was formally inaugurated by Mr. Jayraj Phatak, IAS, former Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a glittering ceremony attended by several distinguished personalities and former chess players from Mumbai.
Open Blitz Championship
The biggest surprise of the Open section came from Vignesh Vermula, who began the event as the 23rd seed but produced a remarkable performance to emerge as the Asian Junior Open Blitz Champion 2026. Displaying exceptional speed, tactical alertness and consistency throughout the competition, Vignesh finished tied on points with compatriots Sharnarthi Viresh and Nandish V. S, but secured the title on superior tie-break scores.
Sharnarthi Viresh claimed the silver medal, while Nandish V. S. completed an all-Indian podium by securing the bronze medal.
India’s dominance was further underlined by the performances of Akshay Borganokar and Madhavendra Pratap Sharma, who finished fourth and fifth respectively, ensuring that Indian players occupied the top five positions in the final standings.
Among the overseas participants, Akhibay Imangali of Kazakhstan emerged as the highest-ranked foreign player, securing sixth place, while Shagdldi Kurbandurdyyev of Turkmenistan finished ninth.
The tournament proved disappointing for the top seed, International Master Mayank Chakraborty of India, who was unable to find his rhythm and eventually finished in 13th place.
Top Seven – Open Blitz Championship
1. Vignesh Vermula (India)
2. Sharnarthi Viresh (India)
3. Nandish V. S. (India)
4. Akshay Borganokar (India)
5. Madhavendra Pratap Sharma (India)
6. Akhibay Imangali (Kazakhstan)
7. Apoorv Kamble (India)
Girls Blitz Championship
It was a day of underdogs in the Girls section as well, with Saranya Devi Narahari of India, seeded ninth, producing a scintillating display of quick thinking and tactical precision to clinch the Asian Junior Girls Blitz Championship title with an impressive score of 5.5 points from 7 rounds.
India continued its dominance as Prishita Gupta and Shanmathi Sree finished second and third respectively, both scoring 5 points from 7 rounds, thereby completing a clean sweep of the podium for the host nation.
The top seed of the event, Shohradova Lala of Turkmenistan, had to be content with a fourth-place finish despite being one of the pre-tournament favourites. Remarkably, she was the only foreign player to finish among the top ten, with the remaining positions being occupied by Indian players.
Top Seven – Girls Blitz Championship
1. Saranya Devi Narahari (India)
2. Prishita Gupta (India)
3. Shanmathi Sree (India)
4. Shohradova Lala (Turkmenistan)
5. Sravyasree (India)
6. Archita Agarwal (India)
7. Bhat Sannidhi (India)
The opening day thus belonged entirely to the host nation, with Indian players producing a commanding performance across both sections. By securing the top three positions in the Open as well as the Girls Blitz Championships, India announced its intentions in emphatic fashion and set the tone for the remaining Rapid and Classical events scheduled over the coming days.