This Indian girl from Bangalore is breaking barriers and reshaping history of Indian chess.

WCM Aadya Gowda from Bangalore wins the Karnataka U13 State FIDE chess tournament open category which had 257 boys participating alongside her and Shreya Rajesh clinches the girls category championships. Both remained unbeaten.

In what was an incredible move, 13-year-old WCM Aadya Gowda from Bangalore won the Karnataka U13 State FIDE chess tournament open category with an unbeaten score of 8 out of a possible 9 and finished half a point clear of the field. Ishaan Bhansali finished second and Samanth Nataraj Naidu finished third scoring 7.5 and 7 points respectively. Notably Avyukta Nayyar and Dedeepya Bavurapalli also participated in the open section and both scored 5.5 points each. This is something so inspiring to see the young girls going out and playing in the open section.

In the girls section, it was a tough fight as the top three finishers scored the same points and the ranking were decided as per tie-break scores. Shreya Rajesh finished as the champion, Indusheetala second and WCM Aadya Ranganath third. They all scored 7.5/9.

WCM Aadya Gowda student of The Cambridge International School, a female player chose to compete in the Open Category against boys despite having a separate Girls section and emerged as the overall champion, a remarkable achievement that highlights her talent and determination. Aadya Gowda started as 7th seed & remained unbeaten in all the rounds. Aadya Gowda emerged as the Karnataka State Under-13 Open Champion, finishing a clear first with a half-point lead over the rest of the field.

WCM Aadya Gowda has emerged as one of India’s brightest young chess talents. In 2025, she secured the Silver Medal (1st Runner-up) in the Under-12 Girls Classical event at the FIDE World Cup held in Batumi, Georgia. She further showcased her versatility at the Asian Youth Chess Championship 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, winning Bronze in the Under-12 Blitz event while also contributing to India’s Team Silver medals in both the Classical and Blitz formats. Also Aadya bagged AIR 3, Bronze in  37^th MPL U11 Nationals Girls Chess Championship 2024.

Rising chess star Ishaan Bhansali of St Joseph’s Boys High School, Bangalore Urban secured the 1st Runner-up position at the 4th DKCA Open FIDE Rating Chess Tournament 2025 after a series of strong performances. A highlight of his campaign was his victory over seasoned International Master (IM) Ramnath Balasubramaniam, further establishing him as one of the promising young talents in Indian chess. His other achievements include Western Asian Youth Chess Championship 2024 held in Sri Lanka and has won 4^th place in Classical & Blitz & contributed to India’s team Gold in Classical format. Also secured Bronze in Kar State School U11 Category and won Silver in Bangalore Urban U13 District Chess championship.

Shreya Rajesh, a student of Delhi Public School, Bangalore Urban East is a distinguished young chess player and a two-time consecutive Karnataka State Under-13 Girls Champion, having successfully defended her state title. Demonstrating her ability to compete at higher levels, she secured an impressive 4th place in the Karnataka State Under-15 Girls Championship 2025. She further strengthened her credentials by winning 1st place in the Bangalore Urban Under-15 District Championship 2025 and earning a bronze medal in the Karnataka State Women’s Chess Championship, competing against experienced players. On the national stage, Shreya delivered an outstanding performance by securing AIR 6 in the 37th MPL National Under-11 Girls Chess Championship 2024, establishing herself as one of Karnataka’s leading young chess talents.

Indusheetala N, a student of Delhi Public School, Bangalore Urban North, has established herself as a consistent performer in state and national chess competitions. In 2024, she won the Karnataka State School Under-11 Girls Championship, securing the gold medal, and also finished as the runner-up in the Karnataka State Under-11 Girls Championship, earning a silver medal. Continuing her strong performances, she claimed another silver medal in the Karnataka State School Under-13 Girls Championship 2025, finishing as the runner-up.

At the district level, Indusheetala demonstrated her strength by winning the Bangalore Urban Under-15 District Championship 2026, securing 1st place, after having finished 2nd in the same championship in 2025. On the national stage, she achieved an impressive 12th place (AIR 12) in the 37th MPL National Under-11 Chess Championship 2024 and followed it up with a 18th-place finish in the 38th MPL National Under-11 Chess Championship 2025, further cementing her reputation as one of Karnataka’s promising young chess talents.

The total prize fund of the tournament combining Open & Girls was Rs1,00,000. The top 3 prizes in both Open & Girls categories were Rs 12,000, Rs 9,000 and Rs 6,000 respectively. This tournament was conducted by New Mysuru District
Chess Association the Dasaprakash hotel, Mysore with an
impressive participation of 394 players from seventeen districts across State. The event showcased the growing enthusiasm for chess in Karnataka with 260 players competing in Open category & 134 players in the girl’s category.
The prize distribution ceremony was graced by distinguished guests Nagendra Muralidhar, organiser & founder of Mysore Chess Centre, Dr Venugopal, President of New Mysore District Chess Association Suresh J, KSCA office bearers Suresh J & Suresh Babu MH, Dasaprakash hotel owner Das, former
State champion Kavana M, International Arbiter Ravikiran D J and Asian bronze medalist Manasa H R. Karnataka State Chess Association(KSCA) president T.N. Madhukar and Secretary GM ThejKumar M.S congratulated the young players for their outstanding performances and praised their sporting
spirit.

About the author –

Praveena N is a chess parent, Homepreneur and the founder of Sewing Dreamz – crafting premium handmade tote bags, pouches, lunch bags, blouse storage boxes, and other thoughtfully designed fabric products.

Passionate about supporting the chess community, where every tournament is an opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute. Balancing entrepreneurship with an unwavering commitment to quality, creativity, and continuous learning.