The three-day Rapid World Youth Rapid & Blitz Championship concluded in Terme Čatež, Slovenia. The rapid competition, featuring 11 intense rounds, showcased the exceptional chess skills and resilience of the participants, with some games decided in dramatic time scrambles.
Although many top-seeded players fell short of victory in their respective categories, India’s Pranav V. (pictured above), with an impressive rating of 2497, delivered a commanding performance, securing the title in the Under-18 category. Slovenia celebrated a notable success thanks to Matic Lavrenčič (pictured below), the 10th seed in the Under-16 category, who captured gold for the host nation.
Vietnam emerged as one of the standout nations, winning three titles. Khung Duy Dau triumphed in the Under-14 Boys’ category, Bin Vy Nguyen claimed victory in the Under-16 Girls’ category, and Le Xuan Hien Dang (pictured below) secured the title in the Under-14 Girls’ category. Estonia also had a moment of triumph, as Sofia Blokhgin emerged as the winner in the Under-18 Girls’ category.
The action continued on December 16 with the World Blitz Chess Championship in the U14, U16, and U18 categories. India’s Pranav V. once again showcased his dominance by winning the Under-18 competition. Vietnam’s Khung Duy Dau (pictued below) mirrored this rapid event success, achieving two gold medals with a stellar performance in the Boys’ U14 category.
Other blitz champions also included Daniyal Sapenov (Kazakhstan) in the U16 Boys’ category, WFM Nguyen Ngoc Hien (Vietnam) in the U16 Girls’ category, WFM Elizaveta Dorokhina (FIDE) in the U18 Girls’ category, and WFM Elnaz Kaliakhmet (Kazakhstan) in the U14 Girls’ category.
The closing ceremony marked the conclusion of yet another highly successful championship. Medals were presented by FIDE General Secretary Lukasz Turlej, President of the Slovenian Chess Federation Dušan Mes, Honorary Chair and Chief Events Inspection Officer Ozgur Solakoglu, and the 2024 European Rapid champion GM Vladimir Fedoseev.
Complete results: chess-results.com/tnr1079180.aspx?lan=1&art=0&flag=30
Official website: worldyouthrb2024.com/
Photos: Luka Rifelj
