Sri Vijaya Puram, October 26: Aarohi T claimed the top position at the Andaman and Nicobar Women’s State Chess Championship-cum-National Selection Trial 2026, with AFM B. Rajeshpriya Krishnapriya and Aradhaya Rai finishing second and third, respectively, in the seven-round competition held in Sri Vijaya Puram.
Organised by the Andaman Nicobar Chess Association (ANCA) on October 25 at Tagore Government College of Education, the championship brought together women and girls from different age groups across the islands. The event also served as the national selection trial.
AFM B. Rajeshpriya Krishnapriya secured the runner-up position, while Aradhaya Rai finished third. Bhavishya S placed fourth and AFM K. Mahi took fifth place in the final standings.
The competition covered six age-group categories, Under-7, Under-9, Under-11, Under-13, Under-15 and Under-19, alongside the overall open category, giving participants from different age groups an opportunity to compete.
The championship opened with an inaugural ceremony attended by Manjulata Rao, Principal of Tagore Government College of Education, as chief guest. Rao formally inaugurated the tournament by making the ceremonial first move on a chessboard.
The final standings were determined after seven rounds of play, with Aarohi T leading the field. The event brought together participants from across the islands in a competition focused on chess skills, strategic thinking and competitive performance.
