Northeast's first GM, 17-yo Mayank and pupil Pratitee become Asia's chess champions
A remarkable teacher-student story from the Asian Junior Chess Championships, where India’s 94th GM and Northeast’s first GM, 17-year-old Mayank Chakraborty, and his 13-year-old pupil Pratitee Bordoloi won the classical titles in Mumbai. The story explores their three-month mentoring journey, the pressure of being top seeds, Pratitee’s WGM norm, and Mayank’s rise while balancing his own career…
NEW DELHI: Mayank Chakraborty, a 17-year-old chess prodigy from Assam, has become India's 94th Grandmaster and the first from the Northeast. He recently clinched the classical title at the Asian Junior Chess Championships in Mumbai, along with 13-year-old Pratitee Bordoloi from Bengaluru. Chakraborty has been mentoring Bordoloi for three to four months, with their training starting in World Youth in Monte Silvano, Italy.
Pratitee won the classical title in the girls' category, while Chakraborty took home the gold and a Women's Grandmaster norm during the tournament. Chakraborty emphasized the significance of the classical title, stating that it proves his superiority over other players, while Bordoloi mentioned the pressure of being the top seed.
Despite the challenges, both have found time to balance their studies and chess, with Chakraborty even flying to Turkiye and Malaysia for future tournaments. Pratitee's mother shared that staying in India for their chess endeavors is more cost-effective, as international competitions come with a hefty price tag.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
