Jharkhand players outperform rankings at National U-13 Chess Championship

SUBHASH MISHRA

Dhanbad, Dec 25: Jharkhand’s young chess talents shone at the 37th Under-13 Boys and Girls National Chess Championship 2024, held at the Sido Kanhu Indoor Stadium in Durgapur, West Bengal. The players delivered performances that exceeded their initial rankings, leaving a mark on the national stage.

Six players represented Jharkhand in the championship:

• Boys: Adhiraj Mitra, Arjit Ghosh, and Abhigyan Singh
• Girls: Dishita Dey, Pragya Bhardwaj, and Bidushi Munshi

All six hail from Jamshedpur. Notably, International Arbiter (IA) Jayant Bhuyan, also from Jharkhand, officiated as the chief arbiter of the tournament.

400 players participated in the championship, including 265 boys and 135 girls. The event holds great significance, as the top two performers in each category will represent India in the Asia and World Championships in 2025.

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Boys’ Category: Standout Performances

East Singhbhum Chess Association (ESCA) secretary NK Tiwary shared details of the boys’ performances:

• Adhiraj Mitra: Seeded 19th, Adhiraj finished 16th with 7.5 points out of 11 rounds. He started strong, winning the first three rounds and briefly leading the championship, but a loss to eventual winner Md Riyan of Patna caused him to drop in the rankings.
• Arjit Ghosh: Ranked 119th initially, Arjit secured the 108th position with 6 points.
• Abhigyan Singh: Seeded 215th, Abhigyan ended in 208th place, earning 4.5 points.

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Girls’ Category: Impressive Showings

Jharkhand’s girls also demonstrated strong performances, surpassing their initial rankings:

• Dishita Dey: The state champion, seeded 32nd, climbed to 29th place with 6.5 points.
• Pragya Bhardwaj: Despite being seeded 108th, Pragya earned 6.5 points and finished 39th, exceeding expectations.
• Bidushi Munshi: Seeded 60th, Bidushi scored 5.5 points but slipped to 74th place in the final standings.

Key Role of International Arbiter Jayant Bhuyan

International Arbiter Jayant Bhuyan from Jamshedpur played a pivotal role as the chief arbiter in this prestigious championship. This marks Bhuyan’s third national championship officiating in 2024, following the National School Championship in Patna (January) and the Handicapped National Championship in Jamshedpur (June).

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Bhuyan’s reputation in Indian chess is well-established, with highlights including officiating the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai (2022) and the Asian School Championship in Jamshedpur (2023).

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Encouragement for Jharkhand Players

ESCA secretary NK Tiwary expressed his satisfaction with the Jamshedpur players’ performances, emphasising their achievements and significant progress. He commended the team for their dedication and commitment, which brought pride to Jharkhand at the national level.

The tournament has showcased Jharkhand’s emerging talent and reaffirmed the state’s growing presence in Indian chess.