Sri Vijaya Puram, Jan 21: WCM, R. Kasthuri Bhai, chess prodigy from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, won the Best Female Player prize along with a cash award at the Odisha Open Blitz Chess Tournament 2026, held at SOA University, Bhubaneswar, yesterday. She delivered an impressive performance and scored 6 points out of 9 rounds against strong competition, adding another feather to her cap.
She is currently competing in the Category ‘A’ event of the Odisha Open Chess Tournament 2026. Meanwhile, J S Virat, another promising chess player from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands is participating in the Category C (Below 1700 rating) event, which commenced today.