On Sunday, the 39th National Under-11 Open and Girls’ FIDE Rated Chess Championship commenced at the Urwa Indoor Stadium in Mangaluru, with Dakshina Kannada MP Brijesh Chowta inaugurating the event. The championship, which will conclude on August 8, is sponsored by the New Mangaluru Port Authority and organized by the Dakshina Kannada Chess Association, All India Chess Federation, and Karnataka State Chess Association. Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C.H., ADC Raju K, and Dakshina Kannada Chess Association President Dr. Amarashree Amarnath Shetty were among the dignitaries present at the inauguration. The championship has attracted over 600 young chess players from across the country, showcasing the best of India’s chess talent. The first day of the championship saw intense competition, with top-seeded players such as Karnataka’s Nakshatra Gumudavalli, Kerala’s Devi Bijesh, and Tamil Nadu’s Yakshini P taking the lead in the girls’ section. In the open section, top-seeded FIDE Master Advik Amit Agarwal from Pune secured a win against Kerala’s Aditya Sreejith. Other winners on the first day included Mani Sarbarto from West Bengal, Shyamal Nidheesh from Telangana, and Shreyansh Das from Karnataka.
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📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK