Young Minds Shine at BLACK & WHITE Chess Tournament in Bahrain
TDT | Manama
Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com
A wave of strategic brilliance swept through Mahooz this week as over 100 chess players from Bahrain, India, Syria, and the Philippines gathered for the first edition of the BLACK & WHITE Chess Tournament, held on April 30th and May 1st at the MC Indeez Auditorium.
Organised by The Daily Tribune and Arjun’s Chess Academy Bahrain, with support from the Bahrain Chess Federation, the two-day event celebrated talent across age groups, ratings, and nationalities.
The tournament opened with a FIDE-rated Blitz event, where Syria’s Mero Aghiad clinched the champion title with 8 points, followed closely by Bahrain’s Husain Ayyad (7.5) and India’s Prithvi Raj Prajeesh (7).
$1,000 cash prize was given to the winners along with a few other gifts.
Tactical speed and focus
The rapid - fire for mat showcased tactical speed and focus, drawing enthusiastic spectators to witness the intensity of time-pressed play.
Budding talents were recognised in special categories. Vaishnav Sumesh, Noel Abraham Punnoose, and Aadhav Rakshith Krishnen shared the honours among rated players under 1500, while Sriram Palaniappan topped the list of best unrated players.
Among the women, Yashvi Kaushal Shah led the scoreboard, followed by Devika Anil Jai Prabhakaran and Ayushi Dash.
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Second day
The second day pivoted to youth competitions, spotlighting the next generation of chess stars.
In the Under-10 category, India’s Ehan Anjam emerged as champion with a perfect six-point score, edging past Jeff George and Saatvik Sharma.
Brayden Anand took home the Under-8 title, while the Girls’ Category saw Aishwarya Krishnen and Niharika Nithin top the chart.
The Under-17 category culminated in a near-flawless performance by Pranav Bobby Sekhar, whose 6.5-point victory placed him ahead of Navaneet Sreekanth and Prithvi Raj Prajeesh.
Podium
Meanwhile, Jairam Kannappan led the Under-12 division, and the Girls’ Under-12 podium was dominated by Devika Anil Jai Prabhakaran, Ayushi Dash, and Janet George.
With matches defined by discipline, critical thinking, and resilience, the tournament reaffirmed chess’s growing popularity in the region. The organisers expressed hopes of expanding the tournament in future editions to build a more inclusive platform for young minds to thrive.
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