Mayank Chakraborty and Pratitee Bordoloi Win Asian Junior Chess Titles

India's IM Mayank Chakraborty and WFM Pratitee Bordoloi won the Asian Junior Chess Championships 2026 in Mumbai, both with 7.5 points from 9 games.

India has won both titles at the Asian Junior Chess Championships 2026 in Mumbai. IM Mayank Chakraborty won the open section and WFM Pratitee Bordoloi won the girls' section. Both finished with 7.5 points from 9 games.

Mayank, the top seed, finished half a point ahead of IM Artem Pingin. The two played each other in the final round, and a short draw was enough for Mayank to take the title. Indian players filled many of the top places behind them, including Daksh Goyal, Ghadge Harsh, FM Sharnarthi Viresh and IM Vignesh Advaith Vemula.

Mayank's title is all the more impressive because of his difficult rapid event earlier in the week, where he lost in the final round. He bounced back in the classical championship, which is the event that matters most.

In the girls' section, Pratitee Bordoloi also finished half a point clear, ahead of Mariya Kholyavko of Kazakhstan. Pratitee drew her last game with WCM Sravyasree Bheemarasetty of India to secure first place. India's WFM Nivedita V C finished third, with FM Prishita Gupta and Sravyasree Bheemarasetty also among the leading players.

For Pratitee, the title came a week after she finished second in the girls' rapid championship. Two strong performances in one week show real consistency.

Winning an Asian junior title is a big step for any young player. Continental champions often earn valuable titles and invitations, and many previous Asian junior champions have gone on to become grandmasters.

There is a lesson in how both champions finished. In the last round, a draw was enough, and both played safely to secure their titles. Knowing your tournament situation and choosing the right approach is part of being a complete chess player.

Congratulations to Mayank Chakraborty and Pratitee Bordoloi, and to every Indian player who helped make this a memorable championship on home soil.