Vignesh Vermula and Saranya Devi win Asian Junior Chess blitz titles

India secured early success at the Asian Junior Chess Championship 2026 in Mumbai, with Vignesh Vermula and Saranya Devi winning the Open and Girls blitz titles, respectively.

Vignesh Vermula, entering the tournament as the 23rd seed, finished tied on points with compatriots Sharnarthi Viresh and Nandish V. S. before securing the championship via superior tie-break scores. The Open section podium was completed by Viresh in second place and Nandish in third.

In the Girls blitz category, ninth-seeded Saranya Devi claimed the title. She was followed by Prishita Gupta in second and Shanmathi Sree in third. The top seed, Shohradova Lala of Turkmenistan, finished fourth.

Among international competitors, Akhibay Imangali of Kazakhstan was the highest-ranked foreign player, placing sixth in the Open section. Indian International Master Mayank Chakraborty finished 13th.