SPORTS · MAHARASHTRA

Unbeaten in Ahmedabad, a new International Master.

Viresh Sharnarthi won the Western Asian Junior (U-20) Open Chess Championship 2026 in Ahmedabad, unbeaten on 7/9, earning the International Master title and a Grandmaster norm.

By The Young Achievers1 min readSources checked 9 November 2026

✓ Verified · Age 16

Viresh Sharnarthi · Born 2010; age 16 at the championship in October 2026

Filed under: Sports · Maharashtra · Chess

Viresh Sharnarthi — the latest IM of India · Photograph: ChessBase India / FM Soham Datar · Image source ↗

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The achievement

Viresh Sharnarthi of India won the Western Asian Junior (U-20) Open Chess Championship 2026 in Ahmedabad, finishing unbeaten on 7 points from 9 rounds. The win brought the direct International Master title and a Grandmaster norm.

The championship ran from 23 to 29 October 2026. Chess-Results’ published final ranking confirms first place on 7/9, and ChessBase India reports a performance rating of 2414 for the event.

Read the result carefully

The event was an Under-20 open championship, so the title reflects the open junior field rather than an age-group section. Viresh was born in 2010, which makes him 16 at the October 2026 championship.

No home city is stated in the published reports, so none is printed here. The International Master title and the Grandmaster norm follow directly from the win, as reported by ChessBase India and confirmed by the published final ranking.

✳ A spark to explore

Chess gives a reader a way to explore decisions rather than only admire a trophy. Choose a position and ask: what is threatened, what can be protected and what changes after this move? These are our reader prompts, not claims about Viresh’s personal coaching or practice routine.