Raj Aryan wins 2nd DNC Memorial FIDE Rating Below 1700 Tournament 2026
Raj Aryan of Bihar scored an unbeaten 8/9 points to win the 2nd DNC Memorial FIDE Rating Below 1700 Chess Tournament 2026. Raj Aryan and Raman R of Tamil Nadu both scored 8/9 points, but Raj secured 1st place according to tie-breaks. Seven players scored 7.5/9 points, finishing from 3rd to 9th place, respectively. The total prize fund of the event was ₹5,00,000, with the top 3 prizes being ₹50,000, ₹40,000, and ₹30,000 each. The tournament was organised by Vivekananda Chess Academy at Sri Vijay Vidyalaya College of Pharmacy, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, from 20th to 22nd February 2026. Photos: Rishi Raj Bharadwaj
Balance of MBBS and Chess
Raj Aryan had earlier won the Gold Medal at the Asian Amateur Chess Rapid Championship (Below 1700) held in Al Ain, UAE (2024). He has also been selected for the prestigious Utkarsh Scholarship, which provides financial support of up to ₹20 lakh per annum to nurture exceptional sporting talent and support international training and competition.
Beyond the chessboard, Raj Aryan is pursuing MBBS at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Patna, one of India’s oldest and most prestigious medical institutions. Balancing the intense academic demands of medical education with elite-level competitive chess is a rare accomplishment. His success in both arenas reflects extraordinary discipline, focus, and mental resilience.
Final Ranking after 9 Rounds
Rk. | SNo | Name | Typ | sex | Gr | Rtg | Club/City | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | TB5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 30 | AFM | NA | 1614 | BR | 8 | 53 | 58,5 | 52 | 0 | 7 | |||
2 | 6 | AFM | 4063CBE2025 | 1674 | TN | 8 | 50,5 | 53,5 | 47,5 | 0 | 7 | |||
3 | 170 | U16 | 27066TRY2025 | 1465 | TN | 7,5 | 56 | 61 | 50,25 | 0 | 6 | |||
4 | 19 | 22129VEL2025 | 1635 | TN | 7,5 | 54 | 58,5 | 46,5 | 0 | 7 | ||||
5 | 2 | 18062SLM2025 | 1698 | TN | 7,5 | 51 | 56 | 45,5 | 0 | 7 | ||||
6 | 31 | NA | 1607 | TG | 7,5 | 51 | 53 | 42,5 | 0 | 6 | ||||
7 | 5 | NA | 1678 | MH | 7,5 | 50,5 | 52,5 | 41,75 | 0 | 7 | ||||
8 | 34 | U16 | 15484TLR2025 | 1606 | TN | 7,5 | 47 | 50,5 | 41,25 | 0 | 6 | |||
9 | 101 | U12 | NA | 1516 | JH | 7,5 | 47 | 50 | 41 | 0 | 7 | |||
10 | 7 | NA | 1674 | HR | 7 | 52 | 56,5 | 41,25 | 0 | 6 | ||||
11 | 77 | 9780CUD2025 | 1542 | TN | 7 | 50,5 | 55,5 | 41,25 | 0 | 6 | ||||
12 | 48 | U16 | NA | 1589 | BR | 7 | 50 | 53 | 39 | 0 | 5 | |||
13 | 25 | NA | 1618 | KA | 7 | 50 | 53 | 38,5 | 0 | 6 | ||||
14 | 11 | U16 | 9229VNR2025 | 1661 | TN | 7 | 49 | 54,5 | 41,75 | 0 | 6 | |||
15 | 35 | NA | 1605 | KA | 7 | 48 | 52 | 36,5 | 0 | 7 |