Margao : International Master Ethan Vaz, the youngest IM in India, has added another glittering achievement to his growing legacy. The 14-year-old chess prodigy from Goa clinched the Silver Medal for his state at the 35th National Under-17 Open Chess Championship 2025-26, held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat from March 30 to April 7, 2026.
Ethan delivered an exemplary and unbeaten performance throughout the tournament, scoring 9 points from 11 rounds with 7 wins and 4 draws. His podium finish has earned him selection to represent India at the World Youth and Asian Youth Chess Championships in 2026 in the Under-18 category.
It may be recalled that earlier in December, Ethan won Gold at the National Junior (Under-19) Open Chess Championship, which secured his selection to represent India at the World Junior and Asian Junior Chess Championships in 2026 in the Under-20 category.
With this latest achievement, Ethan now holds the rare and remarkable distinction of being selected to represent India in both Youth (Under-18) and Junior (Under-20) categories in 2026 — across World, Commonwealth, and Asian Chess Championships.
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