Chess prodigy Divi Bijesh heads 600-player field at National Under-11 Championship in Mangaluru
The 39th National Under-11 Open and Girls FIDE-rated Chess Championship began on Sunday at the Urwa Indoor Stadium in Mangaluru, drawing 600 young players from across India. The tournament, which runs until Saturday, features 11 rounds of classical chess, with each game lasting up to four hours.
Among the most anticipated participants is 11-year-old Divi Bijesh of Kerala, who recently won the under-12 title at the FIDE World Cup 2026 in Georgia. With a FIDE rating of 2006, she is the highest-rated girl in the competition. In the first round, she faces Aadhya Deo of Tripura, rated 1471.
Other leading girls include Yakshini P. (rating 1819), who plays Anushka Manoj Kumar of Telangana, and Nakshatra Gumudavelly of Karnataka (rating 1816), who meets Yuktha R. of Tamil Nadu. The boys' section is equally competitive, with 11-year-old FIDE Master Advik Amit Agrawal of Maharashtra (rating 2376) taking on Adithya Sreejith of Kerala. Ten-year-old FM Sarbartho Mani of West Bengal (rating 2273) faces Reyansh Kamerkar of Maharashtra, while Telangana's Nidhish Shyamal (rating 2219) plays Shawn Joy of Karnataka.
The championship was inaugurated by Dakshina Kannada Chess Association president Amarashree Amarnath Shetty, along with Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy and grandmaster Thejkumar M.S., who made the ceremonial first moves. Speaking at the opening, Shetty noted that this is the first national-level chess tournament hosted in Mangaluru and only the second in Karnataka.
Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Capt. Brijesh Chowta welcomed participants and their families, encouraging them to explore the city. "This is the safest and cleanest city in the country. There are a lot of good things about this city. Please spread good words about Mangaluru," he said. Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath and Additional Deputy Commissioner K. Raju also attended.
International arbiter V. Vijayaraghavan serves as chief arbiter, with IAs Ajesh Kumar A. and Prashant Raval as deputy arbiters. Live coverage of 30 boards in each section is available daily on chessworld.ai.
The tournament provides a platform for emerging chess talent to compete at a high level and gain FIDE rating points. With several nationally ranked juniors in the field, the championship promises intense competition and a glimpse of India's future chess stars.
