Former National Champion Grandmaster Murali Karthikeyan and Grandmaster Daneshvar Bardiya (Iran) continued to be in the top position by scoring smooth victories over Aleksey Grebnev (Russia) & P. Iniyan in the 5th round of the open section of Asian Individual Chess Championships being held at Danat Resort, Al Ain, UAE. The top seed Nihal Sarin suffered a setback at hands of Sergie Lobanov of Russia.
In the Women’s section, WGM Srija Sheshadri joined Bodnaruk Anastasia & Mungunzul Bat-Erdene in the lead with a crushing victory over Xeniya Balabayeya of Russia. National Women’s Champion P. V. Nandhidhaa & Olympiad Gold Medalist Vantika Agrawal are in second spot with 4 points each, just half a point behind Srija, Anastasia and Mungunzul.
39th NATIONAL UNDER-7 OPEN & GIRLSCHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS – 2026 
Chess problem corner:30 June 2026 
Asian Junior Open & Girls Chess Championships 2026 from 16th to 26th August 2026 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. 
Jharkhand (Ranchi) GM Chess Coaching Camp Successfully Conducted (23–27 June 2026)