A three-day Karnataka State Schools Chess Championship 2023 was organised by the First Move Trust in association with Vijaya Vittala Educational Institutions at Vijaya Vittala Vidyashala recently.

Around 400 competitors from 12 categories took part in the Championship and Champions from each age group will be representing Karnataka in the National Schools Chess Championship-2024 that will be held at Bihar from January 28, 2024 to February 1, 2024.

First place winners in each category are as follows: U-7 Female Category: B.V. Saanvika (BGS National Public School)            – 4 points; U-7 Open Category: Lakshit Dayananda (DPS) – 7 points; U-9 Female: Rizelle Alida D’souza (St. Theresas School, Mangaluru) – 4½ points; U-9 Open Category: Venkata Naga Karthik Malladi (Lake Montfort School) – 6½ points; U-11 Female: Krupha S. Ukkali (NPS) – 5 points; U-11 Open Category: Suman Saideep (The Amaatra Academy) – 7 points; U-13 Female: Rudra Rajeev (Lourdes Central School, Mangaluru) – 5 points; U-13 Open Category: Krishna (BVM Global School, Bengaluru) – 6½ points; U-15 Female: Sharadhi Shastry  – 3½ points; U-15 Open Category: Raveesh Kote (Jnana Ganga Central School) – 5½ points; U-17 Female: Prasiddhi Bhat (MICA) – 4 points; U-17 Open Category:  N. Leelajai Krishna (St. Norbert, Koppa) – 4½ points.

Grand Master (GM) M.S. Thejkumar was the chief guest. VVVS Principal S.A. Veena, Vijaya Vittala PU College Principal H. Satyaprasad, MDCA Secretary and Karnataka State Chess Association Vice-President Nagendra Muralidhar, First Move Trust President D.J. Ravi Kiran, Secretary M. Bharath  were present during the prize distribution function.