The 2024 World Cadet Chess Championship concluded in Montesilvano, Italy, after eleven thrilling rounds of competition across six tournaments. Outstanding young talents emerged as champions in each section.

Chen Zhihan dominated the U8 Girls tournament. The second seed from China scored an impressive 9.5/11, finishing a full point ahead of Abigail Zhou and Stella Xin, both representing the United States, who secured second and third places, respectively.

The U8 Open was fiercely contested, with three players tying for first place on 9/11. The Buchholz tiebreaker crowned Reddy Adulla Divith (India) as the gold medalist. His compatriot Swain Sattwik secured silver, while Guo Ziming (China) claimed bronze.

WCM Alanna Berikkyzy (pictured above) lived up to her pre-tournament favorite status in the U10 Girls section. The top seed from Kazakhstan finished in clear first with 9.5/11, despite suffering a setback in her eighth-round game.

Roman Shogdzhiev (FIDE) triumphed in the U10 Open, achieving one of the event's two highest scores, 10/11. Marc Llari, who defeated Shogdzhiev in their direct encounter, could not maintain the pace and finished second. Ider Tselmuun (Mongolia) took bronze, edging out Chenxuan (USA) on tiebreaks.

The U12 Girls section ended with Xue Tianhao (China, pictured above)) and Khanzada Amanzhol (Kazakhstan) tied for first place. Xue claimed gold due to a slightly superior Buchholz tiebreaker.

FM Mark Smirnov (pictured below) delivered a commanding performance in the U12 Open, conceding only two draws and finishing 1.5 points ahead of his closest rivals. Antoni Radzimski (Poland) and David Lacan Rus (France) earned silver and bronze, respectively.

Final standings:

U08 Girls

1. Chen Zhihan (China) – 9½/11
2. WCM Abigail Zhou (USA) – 8½
3. Stella Xin (USA) – 8½

U08 Open

1. Reddy Adulla Divith (India) – 9
2. Swain Sattwik (India) – 9
3. Guo Ziming (China) – 9

U10 Girls

1. WCM Alanna Berikkyzy (Kazakhstan) – 9½
2. WCM Aimee Yang  (USA) – 9
3. WCM Ider Tselmuun (Mongolia) – 8½

U10 Open

1. Roman Shogdzhiev (FIDE) – 10
2. Marc Llari (France) – 9½
3. Nguyen Quang Anh  (Vietnam) – 8½

U12 Girls

1. WCM  Xue Tianhao (China) – 9
2. WCM  Khanzada Amanzhol (Kazakhstan) – 9
3. Tong Thai Hoang An (Vietnam)

U12 Open

1. FM Mark Smirnov (KAZ) – 10
2. CM Antoni Radzimski (Poland) – 8½
3. FM David Lacan Rus (FRA) – 8½

The closing ceremony brought the event to a spectacular conclusion, featuring speeches by event officials, an electrifying performance by a local dance group, and the awarding of trophies to the winners.

Photos: Patricia Claros Aguilar and Niklesh Jain | ChessBase India

Official website: worldcadetschess2024.com/