The fighter wins!
It was the last round of the 4th Mind Champions Challenge. By the time I reached board one, I could hardly see the board. Players, parents, volunteers and shoppers at Phoenix Marketcity had all gathered around one table. On one side sat the defending champion Rohit Jadhav, half a point ahead of the field. On the other side sat 11-year-old Ved Phaur. Ved had to win. A draw would not be enough. And the position on the board was a draw.
Rohit Jadhav vs Ved Phaur
Most players would have offered a draw, or at least started thinking about the second prize. Not Ved. He kept making moves, kept asking questions, and kept the pressure on.
When the result was finally clear, the crowd broke into applause. Hats off to Rohit as well - a defending champion who played the whole event with great fighting spirit and lost only after a long battle.
For me, this was the lesson of the day for every young player reading this. An endgame that is objectively drawn is still a game. Your opponent is also tired, also nervous, also thinking about the result. If you keep asking small questions, sometimes the answer you get is a full point. Ved was in his element, clutching the win, and it was a total champion's attitude. For me, he is like the Pragg, Gukesh and Arjun of visually impaired chess!
Fresh from a World Junior medal
What makes this even more special is where Ved was coming from. Just a few days earlier, he had won the bronze medal at the 13th IBCA World Junior Chess Championship for blind and visually impaired players in Heraklion, Crete. He started as the 12th seed out of 17, scored 6.5/9, lost only to the two players who finished above him, and gained 131 Elo points! His coach, IM Satyapragyan, who was with the Indian team in Crete, summed it up well: "Ved is a very determined player and in a couple of games his will to win was amazing."
Ved trains at Chess Pathshala Academy with GM Swapnil Dhopade, and his full-time trainer is Shubham Lakudkar. Now think about this. Ved came back from Crete to Mumbai. Then went to Nagpur, and only a couple of days later, once again took the late-night train to arrive early in the morning in Mumbai for the 4th Mind Champions Challenge! He played 6 rounds, won the title, and then left by bus right after the closing ceremony! What amazing stamina and spirit. Many adults would have taken a rest day. Ved took a trophy!
Surprise for Ved!
For winning the Mind Champions Challenge 2026, Ved received the first prize of Rs.10,000. But there was one more surprise waiting for him at the prize distribution.
During the ChessBase India stream of the Chess Olympiad 2026, our dear friend, the well-known stand-up comedian Samay Raina, had announced a scholarship of Rs.1,00,000. Samay, as he usually does, let us decide whom we should give the money to. After careful consideration, we thought Ved would be the best recipient of this award. He is, after all, the biggest talent in the country when it comes to visually impaired chess and perhaps even the world!
At the Phoenix club, Ved received the Samay Raina Scholarship cheque of Rs.1,00,000 through HelpChess Foundation.
Our partners
A chess tournament runs on two things - good moves and good food! :) This edition had both, thanks to two kind partners.
Coffee Island sent refreshing iced coffees for the players right through the day.
Rajdhani contributed 120 meal boxes for the lunch break. In their words, "We take pride in bringing people together over a good meal, and we are glad to extend this spirit to a thoughtful initiative like yours." And the players loved it - some even came back for a second helping!
Thank you, Coffee Island and Rajdhani, for your kind gesture! You made the day special for every player who walked into the Phoenix club. We hope to see you again at the 5th edition!
