India won a double victory at the Asian Junior Classical Chess Championship 2026, Mayank Chakraborty and Pratitee Bordoloi winning gold in Open and Girls respectively. The prestigious championship ended in Mumbai on August 26, and both Indian youngsters took first place in the nine-round rankings.
The tournament was held at the ITC Maratha Sheraton in Mumbai, which brought together promising junior chess players from Asia. India emerged as one of the strongest performers in the Classical Championships with four medals out of six available medals - two gold and two bronze.
Mayank Chakraborty, the 94th Grandmaster from India and first Grandmaster from the Northeast region, entered the Open section as the top seed. He was able to meet all the expectations by winning a gold medal in the nine-round competition by scoring 7.5 points.
Mayank has reached another crucial step in a rapidly developing chess career. His performance and his composure also seem to mirror an older player (he’s only 17). The victory in Mumbai also underlines his place amongst the best young chess players of India.
Russia’s Artem Pingin finished second in the Open category with seven points and won the silver medal. India’s Daksh Goyal won bronze with 6.5 points, a strong performance for the host nation.
The Open championship also helped in terms of FIDE recognition. Mayank, who is already a GM-elect, secured another Grandmaster norm during the tournament. Daksh Goyal, on the other hand, won the FIDE Master title, and also an International Master norm for his medal-winning performance.
India’s success continued in the Girls Championship, where 13-year-old Pratitee Bordoloi had a similarly impressive performance. Pratitee took 7.5 points from nine rounds to finish at the top of the standings and win the gold medal.
Kazakhstan’s Mariya Kholyavko won the silver medal with seven points while India’s Nivedita V C won bronze with 6.5 points to take third place. It added two medals to India’s tally in the medal list and strengthened its lead in the overall medal standings.
The tournament was especially important for Pratitee because her gold medal came with big FIDE wins. The 13-year-old also achieved a Woman International Master (WIM) title and Woman Grandmaster norm. Her performance was another promising development for Indian women’s chess and illustrates the talent pool which is on the rise among women.
Silver medallist Mariya Kholyavko also got a WIM norm, and Nivedita V C achieved a WIM norm for her bronze medal win. Many young players left this championship with not only medals but also a lot more progress in their international chess careers.
With Mayank and Pratitee winning both classical titles, India had two gold and two bronze medals among the six medals awarded in the Open and Girls categories. Russia and Kazakhstan took the remaining two silver medals.
The prizes were awarded at the closing ceremony by Hisham Al-Taher, Secretary of the Asian Chess Federation. The championship was organised by the Maharashtra Chess Association on behalf of the All India Chess Federation and the Asian Chess Federation.
Mayank Chakraborty and Pratitee Bordoloi’s twin victories mark yet another great moment for Indian junior chess. Mayank is still on his way to becoming a Grandmaster, but 13-year-old Pratitee’s victory shows the next generation of international players. So far, the performances made by Mayank and Pratitee have only heightened India’s presence in the world of chess.
