Gujarat’s Darpan Irani was crowned the National Champion, edging past multiple-time winner Kisan Gangolli on tie-breaks after both players finished with 7.5 points in the 18th National Chess Championship for the Visually Challenged. The championship organised by the All-India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB) in collaboration with the Odisha Chess Association for the Visually Challenged (OCAVC) was hosted by SAI International Education Group. The prestigious tournament, held from April 2 to April 6, 2025, was supported by the Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha, and ProChESTA.
The competition featured 54 skilled players (52 men and 2 women) from 15 states and union territories, including top-ranked names like Aryan B Joshi, Soundarya Kumar Pradhan, Milind Samant, and more. The top five winners of the championship were: Darpan Irani (Champion), Kisan Gangolli (Runner-Up), Aryan B Joshi (Third), Soundarya Pradhan (Fourth), and Milind Samant (Fifth), while players placed sixth to tenth also received recognition and rewards for their outstanding performance.
During the tournament, a grand felicitation ceremony held at SAI International Residential School, where spiritual thinker, scholar, and humanitarian Dr. Chandra Bhanu Satpathy inspired and honoured the champions. Among them were accomplished players like Soundarya Pradhan, Kisan Gangolli, Aryan B Joshi, and Darpan Irani, all of whom have represented India and won accolades at prestigious international tournaments including the World Team Championship 2022 and the Asian Para Games.
On 6th April, the glittering prize distribution ceremony was graced by Deepankar Mohapatra (IAS), Director, Department of Sports & Youth Services, and Amitabh Agnihotri, Principal, SAI Residential School, with M Manjunath serving as Chief Arbiter, supported by K R Pradhan and Pinky Mohapatra. The event concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks by Prachurya Pradhan and a stirring rendition of the National Anthem.
