Indian Chess Stars Shine Bright at FIDE World Cadet Championship 2025

A Historic Moment for India’s Young Talents in Kazakhstan

Indian chess continues to rise — and this time, it’s the youngest stars leading the charge. At the FIDE World Cadet Chess Championship 2025, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan (Sept 19–30), India’s kids turned the boards into battlegrounds of brilliance.Sharvaanica A.S. struck gold in the Under-10 Girls category, while Kiyana Parihar and Mani Sarbartho each brought home bronze medals — making it a truly memorable tournament for Team India.

Sharvaanica A.S. — The Golden Girl from Tamil Nadu

What do you do when your tournament begins with a loss?If you’re Sharvaanica A.S., you simply start winning — again and again.

The 10-year-old prodigy from Tamil Nadu bounced back with nine straight victories, finishing with 9 points out of 11 to clinch gold in the Under-10 Girls section. Her performance was nothing short of spectacular — a masterclass in focus, composure, and fighting spirit.

Nicknamed “the 100% girl of Indian chess” for her perfect runs in earlier tournaments, Sharvaanica is already a Woman Candidate Master (WCM). Born in 2015, she’s made waves across India’s youth chess circuit — and now, the world.

Her journey is equally inspiring off the board: her mother, a former physics lecturer, left her career to nurture Sharvaanica’s chess dream. Together, they’ve turned sacrifice into success — and their story continues to inspire parents and players alike.

Kiyana Parihar — Rajasthan’s Trailblazer

From Udaipur, a city known for its lakes and heritage, comes a young chess warrior making new history — Kiyana Parihar.

Just 10 years old, Kiyana fought her way to the bronze medal in the Under-10 Girls category with 8.5 points from 11 rounds. Her performance rating jumped from 1728 to an impressive 1897 — proof of her growing strength and consistency.

Kiyana’s victories over strong players from Croatia, Kazakhstan, FIDE, and the USA showed not only her tactical sharpness but also her calm under pressure.

Mani Sarbartho — Bengal’s Young Warrior

At just 9 years old, Mani Sarbartho from West Bengal stood tall among the world’s best, clinching bronze in the Under-10 Open category.

With 8.5 points from 11 rounds, the Candidate Master (CM) showed maturity well beyond his years. His endgame play and tactical clarity turned heads throughout the event — and his FIDE rating of 2072 only tells part of the story.

Earlier this year, Mani played alongside Viswanathan Anand for Team Freedom in the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship — scoring a stunning 11/12 in blitz. That experience clearly paid off, as he displayed fearless chess against the world’s top juniors in Almaty.

A World Stage for Young Minds

The 2025 World Cadet Championship brought together 842 players from 88 countries, making it one of the largest youth events of the year. The games were played over 11 rounds with classical time controls (90 minutes + 30 seconds per move).

While Kazakhstan topped the team standings, followed by China and USA, India’s one gold and two bronze medals stood out as a testament to its growing youth power in chess.

Final Thought

The 2025 FIDE World Cadet Championship will be remembered as the tournament where India’s youngest minds rose fearlessly against the world — and conquered it.At ShareChess.com, we celebrate not just the victories, but the passion, resilience, and dreams that make chess truly beautiful.