India continued its impressive rise in world junior chess with two outstanding medal-winning performances at the FIDE World Cup Cadets 2026 in Batumi, Georgia. WCM Divi Bijesh clinched the gold medal in the Under-12 Girls category, while Saiaastha Singh secured the bronze medal in the Under-8 Girls section, adding to India’s successful campaign at the prestigious global event.
Divi Bijesh Crowned Under-12 Girls World Champion
Kerala’s WCM Divi Bijesh delivered a remarkable performance to win the Under-12 Girls title with 9 points from 11 rounds. The Indian youngster finished half a point ahead of the chasing pack, becoming the only Indian player to win a gold medal at this edition of the tournament.
Despite suffering a setback in the third round, Divi displayed exceptional resilience by winning five consecutive games, before closing her campaign with a draw, a victory and another draw to seal the championship.
Divi also gained over 110 Elo rating points during the tournament, underlining the quality of her performance.
Under-12 Girls Final Standings
- 🥇 Gold – WCM Divi Bijesh (India) – 9/11
- 🥈 Silver – WFM Alisa Genrietta Yunker (FIDE) – 8.5/11
- 🥉 Bronze – WCM Milana Filippova (Kazakhstan) – 8.5/11
Saiaastha Singh Secures Under-8 Girls Bronze
India’s medal tally received another boost as Saiaastha Singh captured the bronze medal in the Under-8 Girls category with 8.5 points from 11 rounds.
Saiaastha remained among the leaders throughout the tournament and produced a strong finish, drawing her final-round game against eventual silver medallist Xinhe Ye (China) to secure a podium finish on tie-breaks.
Under-8 Girls Final Standings
- 🥇 Gold – Sun Yunjin (China) – 9.5/11
- 🥈 Silver – Ye Xinhe (China) – 8.5/11
- 🥉 Bronze – Saiaastha Singh (India) – 8.5/11
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India Continues Its Strong Junior Chess Legacy
India concluded the championship with an impressive medal haul, highlighted by Divi Bijesh’s second consecutive FIDE World Cup title after winning the Under-10 Girls category last year. Saiaastha Singh’s podium finish further showcased the country’s growing strength in age-group chess and reaffirmed India’s position as one of the world’s leading nations in junior chess.
BY PURVI SEHRAWAT
