January 3, 2025: The nine-year-old chess sensation from Udaipur, Kiyanna Parihaar has achieved another milestone by winning the National Under-9 Girls Chess Championship. In the tournament held in Pune from December 27, 2024, to January 2, 2025, Kiyanna outperformed her competitors to secure the top spot.

In the National Under-9 Girls Chess Championship, Kiyanna was tied with two other players until the 8th round. After gaining the lead in the 9th round, she maintained it through the final round, scoring 10 points out of 11 to win the title.

In the last four rounds, the youngster demonstrated her strategic intelligence by defeating some tough opponents, including Vanshika Rawat from Delhi, the second runner-up, along with Haripranan from Tamil Nadu, Anshita from Telangana, and Ashwi Singh from Gujarat. Her undefeated streak throughout the tournament stands as a testament to her mental strength and chess skills.

Now, Kiyanna will represent India on the global stage. The nine-year-old has been selected to represent India in prestigious international tournaments scheduled for 2025, including the World Youth Chess Championship in Batumi, Georgia, the FIDE World Cadet Rapid and Blitz in Greece, and the Asian Youth Chess Championship in Thailand.

Kiyanna, a student of MDS Senior Secondary School in Udaipur, has already made her mark on the international chess circuit. She won five gold and one silver medal at the Asian Youth Chess Championship, proving her exceptional talent and dedication to the game.

Her coach, Hemal Thanki, has expressed confidence in her abilities.

"Kiyanna has worked hard to develop her skills, and her efforts have paid off. We believe she will bring glory to India at the international level."

As the national champion, Kiyanna has been recognised as one of the promising young chess players in the country.

After the youngster's victory, players and officials extended their congratulations, saying that this achievement will bring a new dimension to chess in Rajasthan. On this occasion, officials of Chess in Lakecity, run by the Buddhibal Seva Sansthan, including patron Tushar Mehta, president Rajeev Bhardwaj, vice-president Dr Om Sahu, Rajendra Teli from the Rajasthan State Chess Association, advocate Manish Mogra, Sachin Vikas Sahu, Nilesh Kumawat, Manish Chandalia, Kushal Patel, Bhavesh, Kapil Sahu, Rachin Jain, and all other officials, along with the players from CIL International School of Chess, have extended congratulatory messages for Kiyanna.

Coach Sahu shared that Kiyanna’s journey has been significantly supported by her parents, Jitendra Parihaar and Dr Manisha Gehlot.