Six-year-old Mumbai girl Suhaani Lohia has charted a new path by becoming the first Woman Candidate Master (WCM) from the metropolis.
The student of the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, achieved the feat consequent to her bronze-winning effort in the U-7 category of the Asian Schools Chess Championship that concluded on Sunday in the Iranian capital Tehran, according to coach and Fide Master, Balaji Guttula. She played in the classical format with a score of 7/9 points to win the the bronze behind Khamdamova Afruza of Uzbekistan and Gadut Mecek Angela of Philippines, who secured the silver and the gold respectively with 7.5 and 8 points out of a maximum of 9.
Despite her tender age, Suhaani performed with composure and displayed great technique while competing against participants from 17 countries from all over Asia, including countries like China, Singapore, Philippines, Uzbekistan, host country Iran, said Guttula. She, thus, is the first girl from Mumbai to claim the elusive WCM title, awarded by the world chess federation FIDE.
Suhaani was officially representing India in the tournament, having won the silver at the National Championship earlier this year at Nagpur. "This win is a significant piece of evidence in the evolution of chess in the city of Mumbai, and that our players are now more equipped to perform in line with global standards with their world class level of professional training," said Guttula.
She will now prepare for the World Youth Chess championships to be held in Georgia later this year, her coach added.
