Patna: Tejas Shandilya from Muzaffarpur and Arpita Singh from Bhojpur claimed the titles in the boys’ and girls’ categories, respectively, at the Bihar State Under-13 Chess Championship. The tournament was organised by the Katihar District Chess Association under the aegis of the All Bihar Chess Association, with the final round taking place today at Agrasen Bhawan in Govindpur, Katihar.
In the boys’ category, Tejas Shandilya secured the championship title after a strategic draw against Pratyush in the final round. The competition was intense, with five players finishing with six points each. The final rankings were determined using tie-break points, where Tejas emerged victorious due to his superior Buchholz score. Jayesh Mishra from Darbhanga claimed the runner-up spot, while Pratyush Kumar from Patna finished in third place. Avyay Sharma, who had led the standings until the last round, dropped to fourth place after a critical loss to Pratyush. Yatharth Nathani from Muzaffarpur completed the top five.
In the girls’ category, Arpita Singh from Bhojpur achieved a remarkable victory, finishing with five and a half points. Her success is particularly noteworthy as she triumphed over five rated players, despite being an unrated player herself. In the final round, Arpita secured her win by defeating Charvi Baid from Purnia. Aadya Shri from Muzaffarpur also scored five and a half points after a victory against Palchin Jain from Kishanganj but had to settle for second place based on the Buchholz tie-break. Abhishree Deepu and Shalini Srivastava, both from Patna, finished in third and fourth positions, respectively.
The championship saw a shift in dominance, as no players from Patna qualified for the national competition in either category—a departure from past trends where Patna players often led the field.
The prize distribution ceremony, held after the final round, saw the winners being honoured with trophies and certificates. The awards were presented by the chief guest Usha Agarwal, along with Dr. Nutan Kumari, a renowned local doctor, and Shipra Singh, Joint Secretary of the All Bihar Chess Association. Chief Referee Nand Kishore, Vice President of the Katihar District Chess Association Dr. Shambhu Nath, and Organising Secretary Pratyush Kumar also attended the event.
Dignitaries such as Iqbal Alam, Joint Secretary of the All Bihar Chess Association, Rakesh Kumar, Treasurer of the Katihar District Chess Association, and Vikas Kumar, Joint Secretary of the Katihar District Chess Association, were also present.
The top ten finishers in each category are as follows:
Boys’ Category:
- Tejas Shandilya, Muzaffarpur – 6 points
- Jayesh Mishra, Darbhanga – 6 points
- Pratyush Kumar, Patna – 6 points
- Avyay Sharma, Patna – 6 points
- Yatharth Nathani, Muzaffarpur – 6 points
- Ekansh Kumar Bhardwaj, Patna – 5.5 points
- Yuvan Raman, Muzaffarpur – 5.5 points
- Arth Bhardwaj, Begusarai – 5.5 points
- Dev Raj, Muzaffarpur – 5 points
- Rudra Veer Singh, Khagaria – 5 points
Girls’ Category:
- Arpita Singh, Bhojpur – 5.5 points
- Aadya Shri, Muzaffarpur – 5.5 points
- Abhishree Deepu, Patna – 5 points
- Shalini Srivastava, Patna – 4.5 points
- Navya Goenka, Muzaffarpur – 4.5 points
- Ankita Raj, Patna – 4 points
- Arya Sinha, Begusarai – 4 points
- Dhanvi Karmakar, Kishanganj – 4 points
- Vishnu Priya Jha, Katihar – 4 points
- Palchin Jain, Kishanganj – 4 points
