National Junior Chess Championship Enters Decisive Phase After Round 8
Jamshedpur, December 21: The National Junior Chess Championship 2025 has reached a crucial stage after the completion of the eighth round, with top players in both the boys’ and girls’ sections registering important victories. The latest results have brought greater clarity to the title race, though the final rounds are expected to be fiercely contested.
In the boys’ category, International Masters continued to dominate the top boards with their experience and strategic depth. IM Ethan Vaz of Goa emerged as the sole leader after defeating FM Arnav Maheshwari of Tamil Nadu while playing with the black pieces. The game remained evenly balanced until the middlegame, but Ethan’s accurate calculations and strong endgame play helped him secure a decisive win. With this victory, he moved to the top of the standings with 6.5 points.
IM Mayank Chakraborty of Assam also strengthened his title hopes by defeating Arnav Agarwal of Uttar Pradesh with the white pieces. Playing aggressively from the opening, Mayank maintained constant pressure and earned a full point to reach 6 points, placing him second. IM M.D. Imran of Andhra Pradesh scored a vital win against Arun Kataria of Rajasthan, also finishing the round with 6 points and securing third position.
In the girls’ section, the eighth round proved equally significant. WFM Shubhi Gupta of Uttar Pradesh claimed a crucial victory over WFM Sachi Jain of Delhi while playing with the black pieces. The win took Shubhi Gupta to the top of the table with 6.5 points, putting her in a strong position ahead of the final rounds.
WCM Shravyashree Bhimarasetty of Andhra Pradesh defeated Mrittika Mallick of West Bengal in an important encounter to move into second place with 5.5 points. Another hard-fought match saw Divya Patil of Maharashtra defeat Narahari Geetika Hasini of Tamil Nadu after a long battle.
After eight rounds, IM Ethan Vaz leads the boys’ section, followed closely by IM Mayank Chakraborty and IM M.D. Imran. In the girls’ category, WFM Shubhi Gupta holds the top spot, with WCM Shravyashree Bhimarasetty in second place and WFM Nivedita V.C. of Tamil Nadu among the leading contenders.
With only a few rounds remaining, every move will be critical. A single mistake could change the standings, making the final phase of the championship highly anticipated among players, officials and chess enthusiasts alike.
