Mumbai, November 6: Ivaan Dubey, Liyaa Krishnan, Kaushik Ajinkya Rayate, Tvesha Ashish Jain, Samvid Pasbola and Khanak Paharia won their categories as the first phase of the SBI Life Maharashtra State Schools Chess Championship 2026 ended at Rustomjee Cambridge International School, Dahisar (West), on Friday.
The seven-round, FIDE-rated event was organised and conducted by Indian Chess School. A total of 417 players competed across six categories in the Under-7, Under-11 and Under-15 age groups. Under Maharashtra Chess Association regulations, the top two finishers in each category will represent the state at the forthcoming National Schools Chess Championship.
Dubey is perfect in the Under-7 Open
Top seed Ivaan Dubey (1545) of Brainiacs International School won all seven games in the Under-7 Open. Yuvansh Nimja (1453) of Global Indian International School took second place on six points, ahead of Advik Verma (1447) of Vibgyor High School, Kharghar, on tie-break.
In the Under-7 Girls, top seed Liyaa Krishnan (1558) of Kanakia International School finished on six points. Eleanor D’Souza of Witty International School, Mumbai, was second with 5½, followed by Neerja Onkar Jadhav, also on 5½.
Under-11 titles
Kaushik Ajinkya Rayate (1490) of SNBP International School, Rahatani, won the Under-11 Open with 6½ points. Agastya N. Kasat (1527) of CNS Mumbai was second on six, with Viren Rohit Boricha of Matrix Academy School third on the same score.
Top seed Tvesha Ashish Jain (1697) of Greenlawns High School took the Under-11 Girls title with 6½ points. Second seed Aashvi Ankit Agarwal (1634) of Gundecha Education Academy was runner-up on six, and Sanamary John Paul (1463) of R. N. Podar School finished third with five.
Pasbola and Paharia win Under-15 crowns
Top seed Samvid Pasbola (1912) of Hiranandani Foundation International School won the Under-15 Open on six points. AFM Rayan Merchant (1822) of C. N. M. School, Vile Parle, and AFM Taseen Rafique Tadavi (1802) of St. Teresa’s Convent High School both finished on 5½ and took second and third places respectively.
Khanak Paharia (1588) of Narayana E-Techno School, Andheri, won the Under-15 Girls with six points. Mahua Vighnesh Deshpande (1527) of C. N. M. School was second on 5½, and Pranitha Bhava (1655) of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyalaya third on five.
Prizes
International Arbiter P. B. Bhilare and Tournament Director Praful Zaveri, founder and managing director of Indian Chess School, presented the prizes. The top three in each category received trophies and players placed fourth to tenth received medals. Each of the top ten in all six categories also won a cash prize of ₹10,000, a total prize fund of ₹6 lakh.
The champions’ march followed a close fight in the middle rounds, when 17 players kept perfect scores after four rounds, and an opening day that favoured the top seeds.
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