World Junior Rapid Chess 2026 Begins in Al Ain
The World Junior Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026 kicked off in Al Ain, UAE, featuring talented young stars including top players from India.
Young chess champions from around the globe have gathered for an exciting competition. On 3 November 2026, the fourth edition of the world junior rapid chess and blitz championships officially kicked off at the Danat Al Ain Resort in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
This week-long festival of fast thinking brings together 150 top junior players representing 40 different countries. All the competitors were born on or after 1 January 2006, meaning these amazing thinkers are all under the age of 20!
What happened?
The big event was organised by the Al Ain Chess & Mind Games Club alongside the International Chess Federation, known as FIDE, and the UAE Chess Federation. Leaders from Asian, African, and Americas chess confederations attended the grand opening and made the traditional first ceremonial moves on the boards.
Players are competing for glittering FIDE World Championship trophies, medals, and a share of a big prize fund worth $33,200. The tournament has both Open and Girls divisions. In the rapid contest, games are played using the Swiss system across nine rounds, where each player gets 15 minutes plus an extra 10 seconds added after every single move.
India’s young stars made an amazing start! Indian Grandmaster Pranav V entered the tournament as the top-seeded player in the Open rapid section with an impressive rating of 2592. After the first three rapid rounds, Pranav V and fellow Indian player Praneeth Vuppala scored a perfect 3 points out of 3, sharing the top spot with Grandmaster Artem Uskov, Kazakhstan’s Satbek Akhmedinov, and Artiom Stribuk.
The competition is just as fierce in the Girls’ section. Three players—Zarina Nurgaliyeva of Kazakhstan, Valeria Kleymenova, and Umida Omonova of Uzbekistan—lead with perfect 3-point scores. Other famous young masters taking part include Dutch International Master Eline Roebers and India’s talented International Master Savitha Shri B.
Why does it matter to you?
Chess is one of the most popular indoor games in schools across India. Watching teenagers like Pranav V and Savitha Shri B compete against the best thinkers in the world shows us what hard work and calm focus can achieve.
Playing fast games like rapid chess teaches your brain to stay cool under pressure. When you practice solving puzzles or playing board games with your friends, you are training the very same skills these young champions use on the world stage.
Words to know
- Grandmaster: the highest title a chess player can earn in the world, kept for life.
- Rapid chess: a fast style of chess where each player has a limited amount of time to make all their moves.
- Time control: the official clock rule that limits how many minutes or seconds a player can use.
- Increment: a small bonus of extra seconds added to a player’s clock after every move they make.
Did you know?
In this rapid championship, players only get 15 minutes each at the start of the game, meaning a whole match can finish in less than an hour!
Think about it
If you were playing a fast-paced game of chess with only a few minutes on your clock, how would you keep your mind calm? Which game helps you practice quick decision-making?
Quick quiz
Which Indian Grandmaster entered the tournament as the top-seeded player in the Open rapid section?
- Pranav V
- Praneeth Vuppala
- Artem Uskov
See the answer
Pranav V
Sources
This story was prepared by the Kids Gazette news desk with the help of AI research and writing tools, using the sources listed above.
