Tanya Verma, a 17-year-old student in Class 11, has accomplished a noteworthy feat in the chess world at the Krishna Gopal Kapoor Memorial International Rating Chess Tournament in Kanpur. In just 42 moves, Tanya defeated 62-year-old FIDE Master S.K. Rathore (rating 1817) in a spectacular demonstration of brilliance, making history in Uttar Pradesh's chess history. Tanya's triumph is particularly noteworthy because no state-sponsored female player has ever defeated a FIDE Master at such a young age.

With four points, Simaran Sadhwani of Lucknow finished second in this category. Prayagraj's Sanchita Yadav finished third with 3.5 points, while Ghaziabad's Ruchi Jain finished fourth with 3.5 points as well. Kanpur's Prashansa Verma finished fifth with three points.

UP will be represented at the national chess championship by Tanya Verma and Simran Sadhwani. Tanya has already won nine state-level gold medals and defeated senior FIDE Masters, including a noteworthy victory over Venkata Satyanarayana of Telangana in a senior-rated FIDE event in July.

In addition to demonstrating Tanya's extraordinary talent, her accomplishment serves as a potent source of motivation for chess players and enthusiasts worldwide.

We are proud of Tanya and wish her all the best for her future endeavors.