- 427 young players from 102 schools battle it out in Ahmedabad
- Eight age-group champions emerge from U-11 to U-19 categories
- Praggnanandhaa inspires youngsters as ISSO steps up school-level talent hunt
- Gujarat Dy CM Harsh Sanghavi stresses early scouting and right platforms
- Adani International School provides national stage for emerging chess talent
NE SPORTS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, SEPT 13
The chessboard in Ahmedabad may have produced eight champions, but the bigger victory of the ISSO National Games Chess Competition could be the hundreds of young minds now dreaming of becoming India’s next Grandmasters.
The two-day ISSO Chess Games, which concluded at Adani International School, Ahmedabad, brought together 427 young players from 102 international schools across India, turning the city into a national meeting point for school-level chess talent. The championship featured separate boys’ and girls’ competitions in the Under-11, Under-14, Under-17 and Under-19 age groups.
Supported by the Adani Group, the championship offered students an important national-level competitive platform where concentration, strategic thinking, decision-making and composure under pressure mattered as much as the final score.
The significance of the event was heightened by the presence of Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, who interacted with the young participants and encouraged them to approach every game as an opportunity to learn and improve. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi also attended the opening and underlined the importance of identifying sporting talent early.
“Scouting talent early and creating the right platforms at school-level to nurture and develop that talent are both important for building India’s sporting future,” Sanghavi said, stressing that competitions such as ISSO give young players exposure and an opportunity to take the next step in their sporting journey.
Praggnanandhaa, whose own rise from school-level chess to the global elite has inspired a generation, told the young competitors: “It is wonderful to see so many young players coming together from schools across India and getting the opportunity to compete at this level.” He added that such tournaments help youngsters develop their game under pressure and adapt to competitive environments.
The message resonated strongly with the ISSO philosophy of building a structured school-sports ecosystem. ISSO describes its platform as providing accredited inter-school competitions, structured pathways from grassroots to national level and meaningful exposure for student-athletes. Chess is among the sports in its expanding national competition calendar.
At the end of two days of intense competition, Viaansh Bhatnagar, Teesha Byadwal, Nirvaan Nirav Shah, Sai Nitisha K, Shahan Vohra, Khandelwal Ananya, Ranvir Kanwar and Jhalak Byadwal emerged as the gold medallists in the eight categories.
Gaurav Dixit, Co-Director, ISSO, said: “The Games brought together a strong and competitive field of young chess players, and it was encouraging to see the quality of participation across all categories. Competing against players from different schools and regions is an important part of a young player’s development, giving them valuable exposure and helping them learn from every game.”
“We are pleased with the way the tournament has concluded and hope the students carry this experience forward as they continue to pursue chess with the same enthusiasm,” he added.
The Ahmedabad championship also underlined how school-level competition can become the first important rung in a much longer sporting journey. With Indian chess enjoying an unprecedented global surge, platforms that allow youngsters to compete nationally at an early age could prove crucial in identifying the next generation of titled players and Grandmasters.
ISSO CHESS GAMES — RESULTS
U-11 Boys
1st: Viaansh Bhatnagar — Witty International School, Udaipur
2nd: Srikar Reddy Rachamreddy — Indus International School, Bengaluru
3rd: Ivaan Dubey — Brainiacs International School
U-11 Girls
1st: Teesha Byadwal — Jayshree Periwal Global School
2nd: Tanishka Bhandari — SVKM J V Parekh International School
3rd: Aarna Rana — Genesis Global School
U-14 Boys
1st: Nirvaan Nirav Shah — Don Bosco International School
2nd: Shroff Avyaay — Aditya Birla World Academy
3rd: Pasbola Samvid — Hiranandani Foundation School International
U-14 Girls
1st: Sai Nitisha K — Tatva School
2nd: Gwyneth Quadros — Chatrabhuj Narsee School, Mumbai
3rd: Choksi Naina — B D Somani International School
U-17 Boys
1st: Shahan Vohra — Heritage International Xperimental School
2nd: Vikramaditya Abhijit Chavan — Sanjay Ghodawat International School
3rd: Krishav Kavit Shah — Ahmedabad International School
U-17 Girls
1st: Khandelwal Ananya — JBCN International School, Parel
2nd: Kishore Kanushi — Mount Litera School International
3rd: Kaivallya Kshitij Goyanka — Jayshree Periwal Global School
U-19 Boys
1st: Ranvir Kanwar — Step By Step School
2nd: Ahaan Vedant Maheshwari — Navrachna International School
3rd: Vedant Mistry — Fazlani L’Academie Globale
U-19 Girls
1st: Jhalak Byadwal — Jayshree Periwal Global School
2nd: Suhaani Lohia — Dhirubhai Ambani International School
3rd: Naisha Khandelwal — Neerja Modi World School, Jaipur
