Nepal Championship 2026: Rupesh Jaiswal and Kritisara Adhikari Become National Champions
The 26th Nepal National Chess Championship and the 11th Nepal Women’s National Chess Championship 2026 ended successfully at Hotel Kamakshya in Damak, Koshi Province.
The tournament was held from June 14 to June 19, 2026. Nepal’s top chess players competed in both the Open and Women’s categories. Each section featured 12 qualified players battling in a round-robin format.
The event was jointly organized by the Province Sports Development Board of Koshi Province and the Jhapa District Chess Association under the Nepal Chess Federation.
Rupesh Jaiswal Defends National Title
Top seed FM Rupesh Jaiswal once again proved his strength by defending his national championship title in the Open section. He scored an outstanding 9.5 points out of 11 rounds and remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. Rupesh finished two points ahead of runner-up Ashish Phunyal, showing complete dominance in the event.
Other strong performers in the Open category also impressed with solid games and fighting spirit during the championship.
Kritisara Adhikari Wins Women’s Championship
In the Women’s section, Kritisara Adhikari delivered a brilliant performance to win the national title.
Even after suffering a loss in round six, she made a strong comeback and finished with 8.5/11 points. Her consistency in the remaining rounds helped her secure first place.
Pooja Bhandari finished second and won the silver medal, while Nihana Shrestha claimed bronze.
Players Qualified for the 46th Chess Olympiad
Based on their performances in the national championships, the following players qualified to represent Nepal at the 46th Chess Olympiad.
Open Team
- FM Rupesh Jaiswal
- Ashish Phunyal
- Rajan Subedi
- CM Sushrut Dahal
- CM Purushottam Dilwal
Women’s Team
- Sindira Joshi
- Kritisara Adhikari
- Pooja Bhandari
- Nihana Shrestha
- Angel Maharjan
The Nepal Chess Federation congratulated all players, winners, and Olympiad qualifiers. The federation also thanked the organizers, officials, sponsors, and supporters for helping make the championship a success.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
