Siliguri boy wins bronze in FIDE World Youth Chess Championship

Siliguri: Samyak Dharewa, a 15-year-old chess prodigy from Siliguri, has made the city and the nation proud by securing a bronze medal in the Under-16 category of the FIDE World Youth Chess Championship held in Brazil. The young chess talent ranked first in India and 17th in the world, marking a remarkable achievement for Indian youth chess.

The championship, organised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in collaboration with the Brazilian Chess Federation, took place in Florianopolis, Brazil, from October 28 to November 10. Upon his return to Siliguri on Tuesday, Samyak was welcomed by family members and friends, who celebrated his success and showered him with congratulations. On Wednesday, Gautam Deb, the Mayor of Siliguri honoured Samyak’s achievement with a felicitation ceremony held at the office of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation. “He made our Siliguri proud. He represented India and Siliguri to the world,” the Mayor said.

A resident of Babu Para and a student of Class 10 at a private school, Samyak discovered his passion for chess early, beginning to play at age six. His parents and school authorities have shown unwavering support for his chess career, enabling him to focus on the game without compromising his academic pursuits.

“I loved playing chess. I gave importance to the sport more than my studies, my school and family have continuously supported me,” Samyak said in gratitude. Samyak’s success has garnered widespread recognition from the community, with members of the Jain community, to which he belongs, expressing their pride and congratulating him on his impressive performance.