The 39th National Under-9 Open & Girls Chess Championships 2026 brought together some of India’s brightest young chess minds at Sarala Birla School, Ranchi, Jharkhand from 6th to 12th July 2026. Odisha made a proud appearance at this prestigious national event with 18 young participants competing across the Open and Girls sections.
Final Results:
OPEN
1 AFM Rayaan Mikael Rozario, 1662, Tamil Nadu, 9½
2 Ayansh Singh, 1768, Uttar Pradesh, 9.0
3 Siddharth Anuj, 1893, Tamil Nadu, 9.0
GIRLS
1 Nandi Pritika, 1644, Maharashtra 10
2 AFM Madhu Sree Duvvala, 1550, Telangana, 9
3 Sai Anshitha Puvvala, 1645, Telangana, 8½
Representing the state with discipline, enthusiasm, and fighting spirit, the Odisha contingent was guided by Mrs. Priyanka Mohapatra as the Odisha Team Manager. Her support and coordination helped the young players focus on their games during the week-long championship, which featured 11 rounds of intense competition in the classical format.
Odisha Player’s Results
In the Girls section, Snehasmita Ram of Cuttack delivered the best result for Odisha, scoring an impressive 7½ points and finishing 20th overall. Pratyakhyaa Shambhavi also produced a strong performance with 6 points, while Srujanee Sarangi and Saanvi Preyanshi scored 5½ points each. Their results reflected consistency, confidence, and the ability to compete strongly against talented players from across the country.
| Sl | State Rank | AOCA | FIDE ID | Name | Rating | District | Score | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 5463 | 429080622 | Snehasmita Ram | 1537 | Cuttack | 7½ | 20 |
| 2 | 8 | 6077 | 547056495 | Pratyakhyaa Shambhavi | 1439 | Khordha | 6 | 60 |
| 3 | 5 | 5606 | 537038516 | Srujanee Sarangi | 0 | Khordha | 5½ | 81 |
| 4 | 17 | 6751 | 577089391 | Saanvi Preyanshi | 0 | Dhenkanal | 5½ | 86 |
| 5 | 4 | 4524 | 429066727 | Arya Mohanty | 0 | Cuttack | 5 | 94 |
| 6 | 3 | 5817 | 547037830 | Elena Mishra | 0 | Khordha | 4½ | 113 |
| 7 | 11 | 6216 | 547056479 | Aratrika Anupriya | 0 | Sundargarh | 4½ | 117 |
| 8 | 25 | 6615 | 564030652 | Sohini Nayak | 0 | Sundargarh | 4 | 131 |
| 9 | 24 | 6752 | 577089421 | Shaili Smita | 0 | Khordha | 3 | 153 |
In the Open section, Pragyan Mishra led Odisha’s challenge with 7 points and secured 55th rank overall. Arpan Sahoo followed with 6½ points, while Reyansh Mallick scored 6 points. Several other Odisha players also contributed valuable performances, showing determination and gaining important national-level experience at a very young age.
| Sl | State Rank | AOCA | FIDE ID | Name | Rating | District | Score | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 5568 | 537010956 | Pragyan Mishra | 1531 | Khordha | 7 | 55 |
| 2 | 5 | 6664 | 577089731 | Arpan Sahoo | 0 | Khordha | 6½ | 78 |
| 3 | 6 | 5061 | 531088007 | Reyansh Mallick | 1517 | Cuttack | 6 | 110 |
| 4 | 7 | 5696 | 537050630 | Sahoo Rudra Pratap | 1478 | Khordha | 5½ | 129 |
| 5 | 3 | 5473 | 429053650 | Riyansh Agarwal | 1453 | Jharsuguda | 5½ | 147 |
| 6 | 2 | 5689 | 537051954 | Pratyush Kumar | 0 | Khordha | 5 | 170 |
| 7 | 4 | 6083 | 577035763 | Mriyank Lenka | 0 | Puri | 5 | 188 |
| 8 | 23 | 6015 | 547037792 | Aadi Ayushman Mohapatra | 0 | Khordha | 4½ | 197 |
| 9 | 43 | 6073 | 577092325 | Priyansh Ray | 0 | Khordha | 3 | 262 |
For these under-9 players, the championship was not only about final standings but also about learning, resilience, and exposure to high-quality competition. Each round offered lessons in patience, calculation, sportsmanship, and courage under pressure. The experience gained in Ranchi will surely help Odisha’s young chess players grow stronger in future state, national, and international events.
The performances of all 18 participants underline the steady progress of youth chess in Odisha. With continued encouragement from parents, coaches, organizers, and the state chess community, these young talents have the potential to bring more laurels to Odisha in the years ahead.
