Chess: Pranav Venkatesh wins world junior championship

Indian Grandmaster Pranav Venkatesh won the prestigious World Junior Championship in classical chess in Petrovac, a coastal town in Montenegro, on Friday, March 7. The 18-year-old claimed the title in the open section, finishing unbeaten with an impressive score of 9/11 points in a field of 157 participants. Pranav secured the championship after drawing with the white pieces against Slovenia's Matic Lavrencic in the eleventh and final round.

Pranav Venkatesh's triumph comes just months after Dommaraju Gukesh made history by becoming only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the FIDE World Championship crown. Like Gukesh, Pranav hails from Chennai and is a mentee at the



WestBridge-Anand Chess Academy, founded by the legendary Anand.

Pranav is also a student of the renowned Velammal Vidyalaya, a school known for producing a steady stream of top chess players.

Viswanathan Anand was among the first to congratulate Pranav on his momentous achievement, lauding his meticulous approach to the game.

"Congratulations to the World Junior Champion Pranav Venkatesh.He has been in great form lately. Our @WacaChess mentee," Anand said.

"He is very meticulous in his work and constantly analyses his own games , comes back with suggestions and takes feedback. You join a very prestigious line of World Junior Champions!"