The 39th National Under-7 Open & Girls Chess Championships 2026 brought together some of India’s youngest and most promising chess players at GH Raisoni Institute of Engineering & Technology, Shraddha Park, Wadi-Hingna Link Road, MIDC, Nagpur. The championship was held from 30 June to 5 July 2026, offering young players a valuable national-level platform to test their skills, confidence, concentration, and competitive spirit.
For Odisha, the tournament was an important opportunity to encourage and showcase emerging chess talent at the foundation level. Competing at such a young age requires discipline, patience, and courage, and every participant from the state gained meaningful exposure by playing against strong opponents from across the country.
Final Results:
OPEN
1 ACM Rudra Pratap 1544 Bihar 8.0/9.0
2 Aksh Shrivastava 1554 Maharashtra 8.0/9.0
3 Nimalan Dharanipathy 1482 Karnataka 8.0/9.0
GIRLS
1 Ns Liyaa Krishnan F 1433 Maharashtra 9.0/9.0
2 Aaditri Majumdar F 1521 West Bengal 7.5/9.0
3 Rihanshi Munagala F 0 Karnataka 7.5/9.0
Participation and Performance
A total of nine players from Odisha participated in the championship, including seven players in the Open section and two players in the Girls section. The young participants displayed determination across nine rounds and gained valuable experience from the national stage. Their performances reflect the growing interest in chess among children in Odisha and the steady efforts being made to develop the game at the grassroots level.
Among the Odisha players, Pratyush Kumar and Virabhadra Brahma produced strong performances in the Open section, both scoring 6.0 points out of 9 rounds. In the Girls section, Elena Mishra led Odisha’s challenge with 5.0 points out of 9, while Aadhisree Budek finished with 4.0 points. These results are encouraging for the state and show the promise of Odisha’s youngest chess players.
Odisha Players’ Results
| Sl | State Rank | AOCA | FIDE ID | Name | Rating | District | Score | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPEN | ||||||||
| 1 | 4 | 5689 | 537051954 | Pratyush Kumar | 0 | Khordha | 6.0/9.0 | 35 |
| 2 | 3 | 5648 | 537020188 | Virabhadra Brahma | 1467 | Mayurbhanj | 6.0/9.0 | 37 |
| 3 | 25 | 6718 | 374101711 | Behera Utkarsh | 0 | Cuttack | 5.0/9.0 | 110 |
| 4 | 2 | 6018 | 547076615 | Parmarth Singh | 0 | Angil | 4.5/9.0 | 113 |
| 5 | 8 | 59992 | 547076658 | Prayansh Kumar Dash | 0 | Subarnapur | 4.5/9.0 | 120 |
| 6 | 13 | 6011 | 577035801 | Parida Cheeranjeevi | 0 | Khordha | 3.0/9.0 | 217 |
| 7 | 14 | 6660 | 577035798 | Rath Shreyanshu | 0 | Khordha | 3.0/9.0 | 230 |
| GIRLS | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 5817 | 547037830 | Elena Mishra | 0 | Khordha | 5.0/9.0 | 53 |
| 2 | 2 | 5772 | 547007346 | Aadhisree Budek | 0 | Khordha | 4.0/9.0 | 97 |
Odisha Team and Support
The Odisha contingent was guided and supported by Team Manager Mrs. Snigdha Soumyadarshini Brahma. Her coordination and encouragement helped the young players remain focused throughout the event and ensured that the team represented the state with confidence and discipline.
A Proud Learning Experience
The National Under-7 Championship is not only about rankings and scores; it is also about learning, exposure, and building confidence. For children at this age, every round teaches something new—how to prepare, how to stay calm, how to recover from mistakes, and how to respect opponents. The experience gained in Nagpur will surely help these young players grow stronger in future tournaments.
Odisha’s participation in the 39th National Under-7 Open & Girls Chess Championships 2026 is a positive sign for the future of chess in the state. With continued support from parents, coaches, district associations, and the state chess community, these young talents can develop into stronger competitors in the coming years. Congratulations to all the Odisha participants for representing the state with dedication and sportsmanship. Their efforts deserve appreciation, and their journey at the national level will inspire many more young children in Odisha to take up chess.
