




Ranchi: The 25th Aditya Birla Memorial Jharkhand State FIDE Rating Chess Championship 2026 concluded successfully, with talented players from across the state displaying exceptional strategic skills and competitive spirit throughout the tournament.
In the Open category, Tanishk Kumar of West Singhbhum and Ishant Kumar of Dhanbad finished with 7.5 points each. Based on the tie-break score, Tanishk Kumar was declared the champion and received the winner's prize of ?17,500, while Ishant Kumar secured second place and was awarded ?12,500. AIM Manideep Mukhi, also from West Singhbhum, finished third with 7 points, earning a cash prize of ?9,000.


In the overall standings, Aarav Raj Mehta of Ranchi secured fourth place, followed by Kamal Kishore Debnath of West Singhbhum in fifth. ACM Krishna Kumar Sao of Hazaribagh finished sixth.
Among the special category winners, Sikandar Anis of Hazaribagh claimed the Under-1800 Rating title, while Shubh Anubhav Kujur of Ranchi emerged victorious in the Under-1600 Rating category. In the Unrated category, MD Asif Kachhi of Ranchi secured first place. AFM Narendra Nath Pandey was adjudged the Best Veteran Player (Above 60 Years).
The championship featured several closely contested matches, highlighting the growing standard of chess in Jharkhand and providing a valuable platform for emerging talent. Winners were felicitated with cash prizes and trophies in recognition of their outstanding performances.
The closing ceremony was attended by Chief Guest Brajmohan Ram and Guests of Honour Prof. Neelima Pathak, Dean of Sarala Birla University, Prof. R. M. Jha, and Prof. Atul Karan, who presented the awards and congratulated the winners.

Among those present were Navjot Alang, Secretary, RDCA and Organising Secretary; Satish Kumar, Treasurer; Deepak Kumar, Chief Arbiter; Jayant Bhuiyan (IA); Vishal Minz, Arbiter; Vikram Kumar; Arun Kumar; Shubham Ashok Singh; Vinod K. Sao; Apoorva Chakravarty; Sangeeta Kumari; Mansi Singh, Manager, AJCA; and Manish Kumar, General Secretary, AJCA.
Congratulating the participants, parents, and coaches, Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Pradeep Kumar Verma said that tournaments of this nature play a vital role in nurturing young talent and inspiring players to represent Jharkhand with distinction at national and international levels.
