Himanshu and Asha emerge champions at LIC divisional chess tournament
Pioneer News Service
Jamshedpur
Himanshu Bikash Chakraborty and Asha Kumari emerged as champions in the men’s and women’s categories respectively at the LIC Divisional Chess Tournament 2026, held at the LIE Sports Club in Bistupur on June 15 and 16.
The two-day tournament witnessed enthusiastic participation from LIC employees, with a total of ten players competing under the Swiss system format. The competition concluded with exciting final-round encounters and a prize distribution ceremony attended by senior officials and sports club members.
K. Meenakshi, Manager (Personnel), graced the occasion as the chief guest and distributed prizes among the winners. She was joined by LIE Sports Club Honorary Secretary G. Ravishankar, Treasurer D.P. Balmiki and Assistant Secretary Ashish Dey. International Arbiter Chandan Kumar Prasad officiated the event as Chief Arbiter.
In the men’s category, Himanshu Bikash Chakraborty secured the championship title after defeating Ashok Das in the decisive match. Balwant Kumar Singh claimed the second position by overcoming Y. Loknath, while Ankit Bhardwaj finished third after defeating Rajesh Kumar Ravi.
The women’s category was conducted in a best-of-three format over three rounds. Asha Kumari displayed impressive form throughout the contest and clinched the title by winning all three matches against Rashmi Samal.
The final matches in both categories were played on the concluding day of the tournament, drawing appreciation from participants and officials alike. Winners securing the top three positions in both men’s and women’s categories were honoured with trophies and prizes during the closing ceremony.
With their outstanding performances, the top two players from both categories have earned qualification for the upcoming Regional Chess Tournament, where they will represent the division and compete against players from other regions.
