Mumbai, Aug 17 — Vignesh Vermula won the title in the Open section, while Saranya Devi clinched the Girls title as host nation India made a strong start in the Blitch category on the opening day of the Asian Junior Chess Championship 2026 at the ITC Maratha Sheraton in Mumbai on Monday.
The championship was formally inaugurated by Jayraj Pathak (IAS), former BMC Commissioner, and the hosts started on a bright note by bagging the top spots in the Open and Girls Blitz Championship, respectively.
The biggest surprise of the tournament came from Vignesh Vermula, who started the event as the 23rd seed but produced a remarkable performance to emerge as the Asian Junior Open Blitz Champion 2026.
Displaying exceptional speed, tactical alertness and consistency throughout the competition, Vignesh finished tied on points with compatriots Sharnarthi Viresh and Nandish V. S., but secured the title on superior tie-break scores.
It was a day for the underdog in the girls’ section as well, with Saranya, seeded 9th, impressed with her quick thinking and tactical precision to win the title. The top seed, Shohradova Lala of Turkmenistan, claimed the silver medal, while India's Sannidhi Bhat finished third.
Viresh claimed the silver medal in the Open section, while Nandish completed an all-India podium by securing the bronze medal.
India's dominance was further underlined by the performances of Akshay Borganokar and Madhavendra Pratap Sharma, who finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Among the overseas participants, Akhibay Imangali of Kazakhstan emerged as the highest-ranked foreign player, securing sixth place, while Shagdldi Kurbandurdyyev of Turkmenistan finished ninth.
The tournament proved disappointing for the top seed, International Master Mayank Chakraborty of India, who was unable to find his rhythm and eventually finished in 13th place.