Round 4 :Goutham Krishna and Pratitee Bordoloi Lead Indian Contingent with Perfect Score After Four Rounds of WYCC 2026 in Italy from 14-27 June 2026

The World Youth Chess Championship, which commenced on 15 June in Montesilvano, has attracted 758 players from 83 countries competing for the coveted world titles. After four rounds, Indian players have produced a mixed set of results, with several youngsters making a strong impression.

Goutham Krishna continued his excellent run in the Under-16 Open category by defeating Melnikov Fedor, who is playing under the FIDE flag. Employing the Reti Opening, Goutham outplayed his opponent in a well-controlled game to maintain his perfect score.

In the Under-18 Girls category, Pratitee Bordoloi, playing above her age group, also maintained her unbeaten streak with a convincing victory over Lyutsinger Iren of FIDE. Opting for an offbeat variation against the Caro-Kann Defence, Pratitee capitalized on her opponent’s premature f-pawn advance, which created significant weaknesses along the e-file. She converted her advantage with precise technique and secured victory in 32 moves.

Meanwhile, Shriram Uppala suffered his first setback of the tournament, losing to Louis Vallée of France. Despite an impressive performance in the opening three rounds, Shriram was unable to hold the balance in the endgame, where his opponent demonstrated excellent technique to capitalize on a few inaccuracies.

Playing on the second board in the Under-14 Open category, Shaunak Badole was unable to gain any significant advantage from the Ruy Lopez, and his game ended in a draw. With 3.5 points out of 4, Shaunak remains firmly in contention and could emerge as one of the dark horses of the tournament.

The championship is entering a crucial phase, and the Indian contingent will be hoping to maintain its momentum in the upcoming rounds.

PC: Nikhilesh Jain / Chessbase India