GUWAHATI: Viraj Sarawgi, a 10-year-old chess player from Guwahati, secured a silver medal in the Under-12 category at the Bangkok Rapid Chess Championship. The tournament featured around 250 participants from seven countries.
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A Grade 5 student at a city school, Viraj scored 5.5 points out of six rounds. Notably, he entered the championship as an unrated player but managed to defeat two seasoned FIDE-rated opponents—Kultungkijsaree Poom (1502) and Juntongjin Prin (1496). His only loss came against the tournament's champion, Ayan Mukherjee (1596).
Viraj’s success highlighted his tactical prowess and competitive spirit. He has been training under the guidance of coaches Durga Nagesh Guttula and Shrikanth Malladi, who have contributed to refining his game.
Guttula, in particular, praised Viraj’s fearless approach, stating that his confidence against experienced, rated players has only demonstrated his potential.
Viraj, meanwhile, is further planning to continue his progress at the Abu Dhabi Junior Chess Championship in August.
