Mraduhas Tripathi from Ujaain, perfect 8/8 at the Neemuch District One Day Open Rapid Chess Tournament 2026.

Mraduhas Tripathi from Ujaain, Madhya Pradesh is the champion of the Neemuch District One Day Open Rapid Chess Tournament 2026. He scored an unbeaten 8/8 to win the championship one point ahead of the field. Hitesh S. Jariya and local boy Anant Mattha scored 7/8 and finished second and third as per tie-breaks. The one-day tournament had a prize money of Rs. 31,000 and more than 180 participants played in the event at the Nagar Palika Town Hall, Near Dussehra maidan Neemuch.

The National Open Rapid Chess Tournament, organised by the District Chess Association, Neemuch, was inaugurated on Sunday at the Town Hall, Neemuch, in the presence of Collector Shri Himanshu Chandra Collector Office Neemuch as the chief guest. On this occasion, the youngest participant, 4-year-old Saanvi Garg (Neemuch), and the oldest participant, 85-year-old R.K. Gupta (Jhansi), also joined Shri Himanshu Chandra in making a symbolic move to launch the event. Players from Neemuch, as well as from various states across Madhya Pradesh and the rest of the country, participated in the tournament.

Shri Himanshu Chandra stated that chess is not merely a game but an effective medium for developing concentration, patience, discipline, logical thinking, and decision-making skills. He noted that, given the growing enthusiasm for chess in the district, efforts would be made to organize national-level chess competitions in the coming months. Additionally, necessary steps will be taken to arrange for chess coaches to provide regular, high-quality training to the district’s players.

Encouraging the participants, he also stated that every competition offers an opportunity to learn, test oneself, and grow. Urging the players to compete with full confidence, discipline, and sportsmanship, he remarked that while victory and defeat are part of the game, it is consistent practice, a positive mindset, and firm determination that propel an athlete to the pinnacle of excellence. He extended his best wishes to all the participants for an outstanding performance.

Subsequently, at 2:00 PM, the esteemed Superintendent of Police, Shri Rajesh Vyas, arrived at the Town Hall to watch the players in action and commended their performance. Addressing the parents, Vyas highlighted how chess teaches us the art of decision-making—specifically making decisions with precision—and instills the skill of time management. He congratulated the participating players and encouraged them to strive for excellence.

Also, Congress District President Shri Tarun Baheti interacted with players from various parts of the country who had come to participate in the chess tournament, as well as with the youngest girl participant and the oldest player—86-year-old Shri R.K. Gupta. He commended the efforts being made by the association and assured them of all possible support.

Santosh Kotwani, Secretary of the District Chess Association, Neemuch, stated that the objective of the competition is to promote an intellectual sport like chess, provide a national-level platform for the district’s talented players, and foster a spirit of competition and self-confidence among them. This event offers the district’s emerging chess talents an opportunity to showcase their capabilities at the national level.

At the prize distribution ceremony, 33 prizes—comprising cash awards of ₹31,000, medals, and trophies—were presented across various categories. Mr. Madhuhas Tripathi (Ujjain) secured first place, Mr. Hitesh Singh Jariya took second place, and Mr. Kuldeep Bairagi (Neemuch) finished third. The first prize for the ‘Best MP’ category went to Mr. Arnav Sihag (Jawad), while the second prize was awarded to Mr. Munnadas Bairagi.

In Neemuch, the first prize was awarded to Namrata Rochwani, and the second prize went to Atharv Agrawal.

Finally, the Association’s President, Mr. Vijay Ratan Garg, along with Vice-Presidents Mr. Nitin Sahu and Mr. Ashish Bhandari, Secretary Mr. Santosh Kotwani, Joint Secretary Mr. Arun Vishwa, and Executive Committee members Mr. Jagdish Bagdi, Mr. Dinesh Srivastava, Mr. Trilok Lodha, and Mr. Manish Kumawat, expressed their gratitude to all those present. They also thanked the visiting arbiter and coach from Indore, Mr. Vivek and Mr. Pawan, for the successful conduct of the competition and for facilitating excellent results.

This is Commendable Work by Neemuch District Chess Association under the leadership of DM Himanshu, President Garg j& his team.

Photos by Chief Arbiter Vivek Vishwakarma

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Chess results –

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