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Six Champions Emerge at SBI Life Maharashtra State Schools Chess Championship
State Championship Concludes in Mumbai
MUMBAI — The first phase of the SBI Life Maharashtra State Schools Chess Championship 2026 concluded on Friday at the Rustomjee Cambridge International School in Dahisar (West), with six players securing category victories at the seven-round, FIDE-rated event.
Organised by the Indian Chess School, the tournament drew 417 participants across six categories in the Under-7, Under-11 and Under-15 age groups.
Category Winners and Highlights
Top seed Ivaan Dubey of Brainiacs International School was the standout performer of the event, winning all seven of his games in the Under-7 Open. Yuvansh Nimja finished second on six points, while Advik Verma placed third on tie-break.
Liyaa Krishnan captured the Under-7 Girls title with six points. Eleanor D’Souza and Neerja Onkar Jadhav followed next on 5½ points each.
In the Under-11 section, Kaushik Ajinkya Rayate claimed the Open title on 6½ points, with Agastya N. Kasat finishing second on six. Tvesha Ashish Jain won the Under-11 Girls category with 6½ points, ahead of Aashvi Ankit Agarwal on six.
The Under-15 Open saw Samvid Pasbola triumph on six points, while AFM Rayan Merchant took second on 5½. Khanak Paharia won the Under-15 Girls on six points, with Mahua Vighnesh Deshpande finishing second on 5½.
Prize Money and Qualification
The top two finishers in each category will represent Maharashtra at the upcoming National Schools Chess Championship. The top ten players in every category received ₹10,000 each, contributing to a total prize fund of ₹6 lakh.
Source
This report is based on information published by Sportstar (The Hindu) — Chess.