Open rapid championship

Asian Junior Chess Championship: The battle for honours intensified at the Asian Junior Chess Championship 2026 as the Rapid Championships reached the halfway stage after the completion of four rounds at the ITC Maratha Sheraton in Mumbai on Tuesday.

In the Open Rapid Championship, two players have emerged as the early frontrunners. Akhilbay Imangali of Kazakhstan and Madhavendra Pratap Sharma of India are leading the field of 82 players, representing eight nations, with a perfect score of 4 points from 4 rounds. With three rounds remaining, both players have established themselves as strong contenders for the coveted Asian Junior Rapid title.

A closely pursuing group of four Indian players comprising Sharnarthi Viresh, Apoorv Kamble, Arun Kataria and Aditya Dhingra are just half a point behind the leaders with an impressive score of 3.5/4, ensuring that the race for the championship remains wide open.