Kingdom of Chess produced a historic double at the Rajasthan Under-09 State Chess Championship 2026, with Viaansh Bhatnagar (FIDE 1660) winning the Boys Open section with a flawless 6 points from 6 rounds, and Poushita Paliwal (FIDE 1430) finishing as first runner-up in the Girls section with 4 points from 5 rounds. The latest chess results from Rajasthan confirm both students in the top two positions of their respective sections, with both hailing from Udaipur.
Viaansh’s perfect score is the standout result of the tournament. His performance rating across six rounds reached 2202, a figure that stands 542 points above his current FIDE rating and reflects a level of play well beyond his age category. He defeated every opponent placed in front of him, including a decisive Round 5 win over Advik Sharma (FIDE 1413), who finished second in the Boys standings.
Poushita’s campaign was defined by a gritty Round 3 draw against eventual Girls champion Teesha Byadwal (FIDE 1570), a player rated 140 points above her. That result, combined with three wins across her five games, secured her the silver position on tiebreaks.
Both Viaansh and Poushita train at Kingdom of Chess, a FIDE-coached online academy whose faculty includes GM Diptayan Ghosh (ELO 2577) and IM Kushager Krishnater (ELO 2392).
| . | Boys Under-09 Open | Girls Under-09 |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | Viaansh Bhatnagar (FIDE 1660, Udaipur) | Teesha Byadwal (FIDE 1570, Jaipur) |
| KOC Result | 1st Place, 6/6 (PERFECT SCORE) | 2nd Place, 4/5 (Runner-Up) |
| KOC Student | Viaansh Bhatnagar | Poushita Paliwal (FIDE 1430, Udaipur) |
| Rounds | 6 Rounds, Swiss System | 5 Rounds, Swiss System |
| Performance | Rating: 2202 (vs 1660 FIDE) | Rating: 1685 (vs 1430 FIDE) |
About the Rajasthan Under-09 State Chess Championship
The Rajasthan Under-09 State Chess Championship is an annual age-category event conducted under the aegis of the Rajasthan State Chess Association. It draws participants from districts across the state, including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Bhilwara, and Jhalawar.
Under-09 state championships occupy a critical position in India’s junior chess pathway. Results at this level feed directly into national age-category selections, FIDE rating calculations, and long-term coaching evaluations. For a state like Rajasthan, which has a growing competitive chess ecosystem, these results are closely followed by coaches and selectors at the national level.
The Boys Open section ran over 6 rounds and the Girls section over 5 rounds, both using the Swiss system format. This ensures that final rankings are earned through consistent performance across the entire event, not a single knockout encounter.
Boys Section: Viaansh Bhatnagar's Perfect Championship
Final Standings: Top 5 (Boys Under-09 Open)
| Rank | Name | Rating | Score | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viaansh Bhatnagar | 1660 | 6 | 19.5 | 22.5 | 22.5 |
| 2 | Advik Sharma | 1413 | 5 | 20.5 | 22.5 | 16.5 |
| 3 | Shaurya Sharma | 1427 | 5 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 13.5 |
| 4 | Samrit Maheshwar | 0 | 4.5 | 22.5 | 25.5 | 17.25 |
| 5 | Parth Soni | 1438 | 4.5 | 20 | 22.5 | 16.25 |
Viaansh’s 6-point haul required no tiebreaks. He finished a full point ahead of Advik Sharma and Shaurya Sharma, both on 5 points, making his title unchallenged and unambiguous.
Round-by-Round: How a Perfect Score Is Built
| Round | Color | Opponent | Opponent City | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | Krishiv Jain | Alwar | Win |
| 2 | Black | Dhanvin Sharma | Udaipur | Win |
| 3 | White | Medhansh Dhandia | Jodhpur | Win |
| 4 | Black | Ritwik Shrivastava | Jaipur | Win |
| 5 | White | Advik Sharma (2nd, FIDE 1413) | Ajmer | Win |
| 6 | Black | Samrit Maheshwari (4th place) | Bhilwara | Win |
Rounds 1 to 4: Setting the Pace
Viaansh opened the tournament in dominant fashion, winning his first four games without conceding a point. He defeated Krishiv Jain (Alwar), Dhanvin Sharma (Udaipur), Medhansh Dhandia (Jodhpur), and Ritwik Shrivastava (Jaipur) in succession, alternating between White and Black pieces across those rounds. His ability to win convincingly from both sides of the board set the tone early.
By Round 4, Viaansh sat alone at the top with a perfect 4/4.
Round 5: The Title-Defining Win
Round 5 brought the stiffest test of Viaansh’s campaign. His opponent was Advik Sharma from Ajmer, rated 1413 and the second-strongest seed in the Boys field. Advik was unbeaten through his first four rounds and represented the most credible threat to Viaansh’s perfect score.
Viaansh won.
That Round 5 victory over Advik was the pivotal moment of the tournament. Advik would go on to finish second in the final standings. Viaansh beat the runner-up head-to-head and never looked back.
Round 6: Sealing the Title with a Clean Sheet
Going into the final round on 5/5, Viaansh faced Samrit Maheshwari (Bhilwara), who sat in fourth position. Playing with the Black pieces, Viaansh won again to complete a tournament-record 6/6 and seal the Boys Under-09 State Championship without dropping a single point.
His performance rating of 2202 over the course of the tournament reflects how comprehensively he outplayed the field. A perfect score in a six-round Swiss system event against a multi-district Rajasthan field is an exceptional result at any age.
Girls Section: Poushita Paliwal's Silver-Medal Campaign
Final Standings: Top 5 (Girls Under-09)
| Rank | Name | Rating | Score | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teesha Byadwal | 1570 | 4.5 | 13.5 | 16.5 | 14.5 |
| 2 | Poushita Paliwal | 1430 | 4 | 13.5 | 14 | 9.75 |
| 3 | Arya Jaiman | 1407 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 11.25 |
| 4 | Ekanshi Chandel | 0 | 4 | 10.5 | 12.5 | 10 |
| 5 | Aura Kothari | 1458 | 3.5 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 6 |
Three players finished on 4 points. Tiebreaks separated Poushita (2nd) from Arya Jaiman (3rd) and Ekanshi Chandel (4th), with Poushita edging both on Buchholz scores.
Round-by-Round: Five Rounds of Girl Open
| Round | Color | Opponent | Opponent City | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | Mayara Porwal | Jhalawar | Unrated | Win |
| 2 | Black | Virdhi Valecha | Udaipur | Unrated | Win |
| 3 | White | Teesha Byadwal (Champion) | Jaipur | 1570 | Draw |
| 4 | Black | Yashika Maheshwari | Jaipur | 1449 | Win |
| 5 | White | Arya Jaiman (3rd place) | Jaipur | 1407 | Draw |
The Defining Moment: Round 3 vs Teesha Byadwal
Poushita’s most important result did not come from a win. It came from a draw.
In Round 3, she faced Teesha Byadwal, the player who would go on to win the Girls Under-09 title. Teesha carried a FIDE rating of 1570, making her 140 rating points stronger than Poushita on paper. Against the strongest player in the field, Poushita held her ground and split the point.
The Draw That Won Silver
Poushita’s Round 3 draw against the eventual champion kept her within striking distance of the top position throughout the tournament. It also demonstrates a quality that separates good junior players from great ones: the ability to be competitive against higher-rated opponents instead of collapsing under the rating pressure.
The Rest of the Campaign
Poushita won Rounds 1, 2, and 4 cleanly, including a Round 4 victory over Yashika Maheshwari (FIDE 1449), another rated opponent. Her Round 5 draw against Arya Jaiman (who finished third) was a composed result on the final board that secured her silver on tiebreaks.
Her performance rating of 1685 across the five rounds reflects consistent, high-quality play throughout the event.
A Double Podium for Kingdom of Chess and Udaipur
The broader picture of these Rajasthan chess results deserves recognition beyond individual achievements. Two students from the same city and the same academy, competing in different sections of the same state championship, both finishing in the top two of their respective categories, reflects structured, sustained preparation rather than a single fortunate result.
Viaansh and Poushita both train at Kingdom of Chess, an online academy whose faculty includes GM Diptayan Ghosh (ELO 2577), IM Kushager Krishnater (ELO 2392), and IM Sanket Chakravarthy (ELO 2303), under the leadership of founder Arena Grandmaster Chandrajeet Singh Rajawat. The academy serves students across 30 countries.
This result follows a growing pattern of KOC students performing at state level across India. Earlier this year, Kridhay A won the 38th Tamil Nadu State Under-07 Chess Championship 2026 with 8/9 points. For a full record of student achievements, visit the KOC success stories page.
The methodology behind KOC’s competitive preparation focuses on tournament readiness, opening preparation, endgame technique, and the psychological composure to perform in pressure situations. Both Viaansh and Poushita demonstrated exactly that in their respective sections.
3 Lessons Junior Players Can Take from This Double Podium
1. A Perfect Score Is Possible with Consistent Preparation
Viaansh’s 6/6 was not luck. It was the product of systematic preparation across all pieces of the game. The key detail is not just that he won, but how he won: against opponents from six different cities, playing both White and Black, including a rated opponent in Round 5. That breadth of performance signals genuine readiness.
2. Drawing Against Stronger Players Is a Competitive Skill
Poushita’s draw against the eventual champion in Round 3 was not a missed win. It was a controlled, disciplined result against a player rated significantly higher. Teaching young players to be comfortable holding draws against stronger opponents is one of the most underrated aspects of tournament preparation.
3. Tiebreaks Are Won Before the Final Round
Both results illustrate that the quality of opponents beaten throughout the tournament, not just the final score, determines final standings. Poushita finished above two players also on 4 points because her earlier wins came against stronger opposition. This is the Buchholz system at work, and understanding it changes how competitive players approach every single round. For parents looking to give young players this kind of structured readiness, online chess classes with FIDE-rated instructors provide the most reliable foundation.
Rajasthan Chess: A Growing Junior Chess State
Rajasthan’s junior chess ecosystem has developed significantly in recent years. The state now runs a full calendar of age-category championships, from Under-07 through to senior open events, sanctioned by the Rajasthan State Chess Association. Districts including Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Bhilwara, and Kota all contribute competitive players to the state circuit.
The Under-09 category in particular is drawing increasingly strong fields as more families in Rajasthan invest in structured chess coaching for children at early ages. The combination of city-level academies, school chess programmes, and national online coaching platforms has raised the quality of junior chess across the state considerably.
For parents and coaches wanting to track the full competitive calendar, a comprehensive list of upcoming chess tournaments in India 2026 is updated regularly on the KOC blog.
Conclusion
The Rajasthan chess results from the Under-09 State Championship 2026 deliver two stories worth remembering. Viaansh Bhatnagar produced one of the cleanest title-winning performances possible, a 6/6 perfect score with a performance rating of 2202, to claim the Boys Open championship. Poushita Paliwal showed the competitive quality needed to hold draws against higher-rated opponents and finish as Girls runner-up on tiebreaks.
For the Kingdom of Chess, this double podium from Udaipur adds to a growing record of student results across state-level tournaments in India. For the junior chess community in Rajasthan, both performances are a benchmark worth studying.
Congratulations to Viaansh, Poushita, their families..
