VMPL
Vrnjacka Banja [Serbia], April 23: In a landmark achievement for Indian chess, 7-year-old Shreyanshi Jain has secured Gold and Bronze medals in the Under-8 Girls category at the prestigious FIDE World Cadets Championship 2026--an elite global event that brought together 437 participants from 40 countries across multiple age groups.
What makes this performance particularly significant is the format in which one of these medals was won.
Shreyanshi clinched Gold in the Blitz Solving Competition (Under-8 Girls)--a specialized discipline under FIDE that tests pure calculation, pattern recognition, and decision-making under time pressure. Unlike traditional gameplay, participants are required to solve complex positions against the clock, making it one of the most demanding formats in competitive chess.
At just seven years old, she:
- Solved 7 out of 12 high-difficulty positions
- Demonstrated exceptional clarity and speed of thought
- Emerged as World Champion in her category
Adding to this, Abhijit Hatkar, Founder of Upstep Academy and a 2000+ rated player, highlighted the significance of her result:
"Chess solving is not something you prepare for at the last minute. The students who succeed at a world level in this format develop positional instinct and decision speed over time. Shreyanshi's gold shows that her foundation is strong enough to hold under a completely different kind of competitive pressure."
Complementing this achievement, she also secured a Bronze Medal in the Rapid event, scoring an impressive 8 out of 11 points. Entering the tournament as the 9th seed, she outperformed several higher-ranked players and gained +56 Elo rating points, underlining her rapid rise on the global stage.
Shreyanshi's journey into chess began at the age of five and a half, when she would quietly observe her elder sister's online sessions. What started as curiosity soon evolved into a deep and sustained engagement with the game.
She is trained at Mumbai-based Upstep Academy of Chess, where her development has focused on conceptual clarity, decision-making, and exposure to competitive formats beyond traditional play--including chess solving, a discipline rarely introduced at early stages.
Reflecting on her development, Pankit Mota, Coach & Performance Head of Upstep, said:
"At this age, it is never easy for a child to cope with the demands of competitive chess--long hours of training, continuous tournaments, and the mental pressure that comes with it. What stands out in Shreyanshi is her ability to stay composed and think clearly under pressure."
Her success on the world stage builds on an already remarkable record in India.
In 2025, within a span of months, she secured multiple major titles--all with perfect scores:
- National Under-7 Girls Champion (9/9)
- National Schools Under-7 Girls Champion (9/9)
- Rajasthan State Under-7 Champion (6/6)
- Rajasthan State Under-9 Champion (6/6)
She also represented India at the Asian Schools Chess Championship, winning three medals across formats--Gold (Rapid), Silver (Classical), and Bronze (Blitz)--becoming the only Indian player to achieve this distinction in the tournament.
As part of her exposure to elite-level chess, Shreyanshi had the opportunity to play a simultaneous match of Upstep against Viswanathan Anand in 2024. Additionally, serious students at the academy are introduced to high-level thinking frameworks through their structured programs such as the Grandmaster Accelerator Programme (GAP), where insights from top-level play are integrated into training.
Behind this achievement was also a moment of hesitation.
With concerns around international travel, her family had initially considered withdrawing from the tournament. However, with guidance and support from her coaches, they chose to go ahead.
Her mother shared:
"As parents, our first priority is always our child's safety. We were unsure about sending her abroad and had even thought of skipping the tournament. But the confidence and support from her coach and the team at Upstep gave us the belief to move forward."
That decision would soon turn into a defining moment--not just for Shreyanshi, but for Indian youth chess.
With consistent performances across national and international stages, Shreyanshi Jain is steadily emerging as one of the most promising young players in the country--combining talent with discipline, composure, and the ability to deliver under pressure.
Her latest achievement marks not just another victory, but the arrival of a young Indian player ready to compete--and win--on the world stage.
https://www.upstepacademy.com/
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