Mumbai, August 19, 2026: India’s Vivaan Vishal and Turkmenistan’s Shohradova Lala emerged champions in the Open and Girls sections respectively at the Asian Junior Rapid Chess Championship 2026, held at the ITC Maratha Sheraton in Mumbai.

Vivaan produced a stunning late surge to claim the Open title. After the halfway stage, Kazakhstan’s Akhilbay Imangali and India’s Madhavendra Pratap Sharma were leading the standings, but defeats in the final rounds opened the door for Vivaan.

The 2149-rated Indian capitalised brilliantly, winning his last three games to finish with 6 points from 7 rounds and secure the championship outright. His victory came against a strong field featuring several International Masters.

India’s Akshay Borgaonkar and Apoorv Kamble both finished on 5 points. Akshay secured the silver medal on superior tie-breaks, while Apoorv took bronze.

In the Girls section, Shohradova Lala and India’s Pratitee Bordoloi finished level on 6 points from 7 rounds after consistent performances. Shohradova prevailed on tie-breaks to claim the Asian Junior Girls Rapid Championship title, with Bordoloi taking silver. India’s Prishita Gupta secured the bronze medal.

The prizes were presented by Dr. Parinay Fuke, President of the Maharashtra Chess Association.

Attention now turns to the Classical Championship, which begins on August 20 and will feature another battle among Asia’s leading junior chess players.

The championship is organised by the Maharashtra Chess Association under the aegis of the All India Chess Federation and Asian Chess Federation.