The World Youth Chess Championship held in the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel in Mumbai, India is in the books. Youngsters from 66 countries were competing in the Girls U14, Open U14, Girls U16, Open U16, Girls U18, and Open U18 categories.
The championship ended on a high note for India. The home team won 7 medals (more than any other country) including one gold in the Open U18 category taken by the 14-year old prodigy Praggnanandhaa. Red-hot from this event the Indian teenager is heading to New Delhi to participate in the U20 Championship that starts on October 14.
Russia netted 5 medals, producing 3 champions. It is worth mentioning that Polina Shuvalova successfully defended her title in the Girls Under 18 category and became the two-fold champion. Leya Garifullina scored an equal amount of points with Nazerke Nurgali but won gold thanks to better tie-breaks in the Girls U16 category.
Final standings:
Open U18:
1. Praggnanandhaa R (IND) – 9 points out of 11
2. Shant Sargsyan (ARM) – 8.5
3. Artur Davtyan (ARM) - 8
Girls U18:
1. Polina Shuvalova (RUS) – 8.5
2. Agrawal Vantika (IND) - 8
3. Alexandra Obolentseva (RUS) – 7.5
Open U16:
1. Rudik Makarian (RUS) - 8.5
2. Stefan Pogosyan (RUS) - 8
3. Ghosh Aronyak (IND) - 8
Girls U16:
1. Leya Garifullina (RUS) - 8.5
2. Nazerke Nurgali (KAZ) - 8.5
3. Anousha Mahdian (IRI) - 8
Open U14:
1. Aydin Suleymanli (AZE) - 9
2. Srihari L R (IND) - 8
3. Sreeshwan Maralakshikari (IND) - 8
Girls U14:
1. Meruert Kamalidenova (KAZ) - 8.5
2. Deshmukh Divya (IND) - 8
3. Ravi Rakshitta (IND) - 8