SMCAite Hriday Sheth Wins Bronze in National Schools Chess

Former World schools Bronze Medalist & Maharashtra state champion, a trainee at the South Mumbai Chess Academy (SMCA) Hriday Sheth clinched the bronze medal in the U-13 National Schools Chess Championship, which concluded in Raipur. The tournament that saw a record participation of about 950 school kids.

Sheth, a 7th Grade student of DY Patil International School, Worli started his campaign with a FIDE Rating of 1594 bagged seven points out of a possible nine games and even played out a tie with the eventual silver medallist, Garv Gour of Haryana. But Gour's better progressive score led Sheth to settle for the bronze medal.The gold medal was won by Aditya Dhingra from Haryana who scored eight points.This victory also catapults Hriday into 1600 Elo fide rating zone.

Sheth thus would now represent his state of Maharashtra in the Schools Chess Championship, with this bronze medal.

"It is very rare to win a bronze medal at the competitive championship like national schools chess as that this age the children need to balance their academics very well along with pursuing their passion for chess," said FIDE Master Balaji Guttula, who coaches Sheth.

He added, "Hriday is a very hardworking child and a versatile chess player. Undoubtedly he has a great future in chess."