Mumbai: Maharashtra’s rise in achieving Indian chess supremacy received a huge boost as three talented stars from the state clinched medals at the recently concluded National School Chess Championship in Bhubaneswar. Interestingly, all three candidates are from the South Mumbai Chess Academy, commonly known as the SMCA.
Candidate Master (CM) Kush Bhagat, who has already made a name for himself in Mumbai’s chess circuit once again showed why he is so highly rated as he competed against senior players and scored 7.5 out of nine rounds to lift his maiden U-9 national title.
Suhaani Lohia, who just like Kush is an exceptional talent in the sport and has fetched many accolades, made a hattrick of podium finishes in the competition, as she won the silver in the U-9 category for girls.
The third medal for Maharashtra was in the form of a silver, bagged by the talented teenager Anugraha Jaisingh, who has an international rating of 1664. The youngster put up a great show to win his maiden silver medal in the competition.
One of the world’s reputed chess academies, the SMCA has made a remarkable effort in unearthing new talent in the sport who made the country proud, on a number of occasions.
“It is definitely a great beginning to the new year and we would make it memorable one, winning many more medals for Maharashtra as well as India,” said renowned coach Balaji Guttula, who is also the chief coach of the academy.