The Nahar siblings, Rajveer and Anaishaa, from Mumbai and both representing India shone brightly winning the Gold medal in the Under-9 and Silver medal in the Under-7 age groups respectively in the 35th Singapore National Open Age Group Chess Championship organized by the Singapore Chess Federation, which concluded on Sunday.
The Nahar siblings, Rajveer (right) and Anaishaa, won the Gold medal in the Under-9 and Silver medal in the Under-7 age groups respectively in the 35th Singapore National Open Age Group Chess Championship.
The competition saw around 500 players from 14 countries competing for the top honours at the Kallang Theatre in Singapore.
Rajveer, a student of Vibgyor High School, Goregaon was in prime form with clever tactical play was unbeaten to finish with a total of 7.5 points out of a possible 8. The third ranked Indian lad had some creditable wins against higher rated opponents and forced a draw against Singapore’s Goh Zi Han, the highest ranked player in the competition. With this performance, Rajveer has increased his ratings by 69 points.
The sister, Anaishaa, who is the defending Maharashtra State Under-7 champion, won the silver medal in her age category. She scored seven out of eight points. This second grade student of Vibgyor High School, Goregaon has many titles under her belt and frequently participates in all international chess meets.
The parents mother Rekha and father Pinkesh, were proud of their kids achievements. “Our son and daughter have been doing exceedingly well and that makes us very happy. It makes us all the more proud as their successes prove that Indian kids are doing extremely well in sports in India and on the world stage,” the elated parents, Rekha and Pinkesh mentioned.
Another upcoming talent, Nivaan Khandadia, who is one of India’s youngest rated chess players, also bagged the first place in the Under-6 category. A candidate of the South Mumbai Chess Academy, Nivaan trains extensively under the watchful eyes of Sandilya.