In Chess, Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin finished as runner-up at the Asian Championship held in Al Ain, UAE. The top-seeded player from Kerala defeated Iran’s Bardiya Daneshvar in the final round clash between the joint overnight leaders. However, Sarin had to settle for silver due to an inferior tie-break score, with both players finishing with seven points from nine rounds. Despite narrowly missing the title, Nihal secured a spot in the upcoming FIDE Chess World Cup, set to be held in India later this year. Five other Indians, Pa. Iniyan, R. Raja Rithvik, S.L. Narayanan, M. Pranesh, and G.B. Harshvardhan, also qualified for the World Cup.

In the women’s section, Vantika Agrawal was the top Indian finisher, placing fourth.