India Shines at Asian Junior & Girls Chess Championship 2025 in Sri Lanka

The Asian Junior & Girls Chess Championship 2025 was successfully held in Kalutara, Sri Lanka, from 27th June to 3rd July 2025. A strong Indian contingent comprising 7 girls and 6 boys showcased remarkable performances across all formats — Classical, Rapid, and Blitz.

Open Section Highlights

Indian players were among the frontrunners from the outset in the Open category.

• FM Sourath Biswas delivered a stellar performance throughout the tournament. Displaying consistency and strategic precision, Sourath secured a crucial victory in the final round against Jihan Tejas Shah, finishing with 7.5 points out of 9 to clinch the Gold Medal.
• IM Kashish Manoj Jain started strong and remained on the top boards for most of the event. Despite a setback in the eighth round, he bounced back with a win in the final round to finish with 7 points, securing the Bronze Medal.
• FM Jaiveer Mahendru, IM S. Aswath, and FM Arjun Adireddy also put up commendable performances, each finishing with 6.5 points.

Girls Section Highlights

In the Girls category, India delivered impressive results with multiple players finishing in the top rankings.

• WIM Velpula Sarayu overcame a slow start and staged a strong comeback in the later rounds. Her determined play earned her 7 points out of 9 and the Bronze Medal.
• WIM Tejaswini G and WFM Sneha Halder were in medal contention for much of the tournament. However, both suffered losses in the penultimate round, affecting their final standings. Tejaswini finished fourth with 6.5 points.
• WFM Mrittika Mallick ended the tournament on a high note, winning her last three games. She also scored 6.5 points and secured a fifth-place finish.

Overall Performance

Team India concluded the championship with an impressive six medals across Classical, Rapid, and Blitz formats in both the Open and Girls sections — a testament to the country’s growing strength in junior chess on the Asian stage