National School Chess: Arshiya and Mehekdeep win Gold medals
Agartala, Nov 30: Tripura’s rising stars delivered a memorable performance at the Under-17 National School Chess Championship, with FIDE Master Arshiya Das and Mehekdeep Ghosh striking gold, while the Northeast’s youngest Candidate Master, Aradhya Das, claimed a hard-earned silver in the individual events.
The four-day national meet, hosted across the weightlifting and yoga halls of the NSRCC, drew to a close on Sunday after producing several gripping battles over the board. In the boys’ section, Mehekdeep stamped his authority on Board 4 to seize gold. In the girls’ category, FM Arshiya lived up to expectations, powering her way to gold on Board 3. Aradhya, showing remarkable poise throughout the tournament, secured silver on Board 2 with 5.5 points.
Tripura briefly dreamt of a team medal on the final day. In a tense encounter against a formidable Maharashtra side, Aradhya fought until the last few seconds but was forced into a draw in a must-win situation. That half-point proved decisive, denting Tripura’s chances of climbing the team podium. The state eventually settled for eighth place in the girls’ team standings, while the boys’ team finished 14th.
Despite missing out on a team medal, Tripura’s youngsters earned widespread admiration for their spirited performance. Officials later remarked that with slightly stronger results on Boards 1 and 4 in the girls’ section, Tripura could have scripted a podium finish.
The championship concluded with a prize distribution ceremony at the NSRCC Gymnasium Hall. Among those gracing the occasion were Sports Secretary Pradeep Kumar Chakraborty, State Chess Association president Abhijit Mallick, and Padma Shri awardee Dr. Dipa Karmakar.
In the boys’ team category, CBSE emerged champions, followed by Haryana and Maharashtra. Maharashtra topped the girls’ team standings, with Kerala and Tamil Nadu finishing second and third respectively.
State School Sports Board Secretary Paimong Mog extended gratitude to all participants, officials, and volunteers for ensuring the smooth and successful conduct of the national championship.
