11-year-old Ved Phaur wins bronze at IBCA World Junior Chess Championship
Representative image: Ralf1403 / Pixabay
Ved Phaur, 11, from Maharashtra, won bronze at the IBCA World Junior Chess Championship for blind and visually impaired players in Crete, which ended on 13 October 2026.
What Happened
Ved Phaur, an 11-year-old chess player from Maharashtra, has won the bronze medal at the 13th IBCA World Junior Chess Championship for blind and visually impaired players, held in Hersonissos on the Greek island of Crete from 3 to 13 October 2026. Ved scored 6.5 points out of 9 in the nine-round Swiss event, finishing third behind Michal Racis of Poland and William Johansson of Sweden, who both scored 7.5. He went into the tournament as the 12th seed among 17 players, with a rating of 1700, and his only two defeats came against the two players who finished above him. The championship is organised by the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA), the world body for blind and visually impaired chess.
Key Facts
- Player: Ved Phaur, 11, from Chandrapur district in Maharashtra, born on 20 November 2014.
- Event: 13th IBCA World Junior Chess Championship for blind and visually impaired players.
- Venue and dates: Hersonissos, Crete, Greece, 3 to 13 October 2026.
- Result: bronze medal, with 6.5 points from 9 rounds.
- Gold and silver: Michal Racis of Poland and William Johansson of Sweden, both on 7.5 points.
- Seeding: 12th of 17 players, rated 1700 before the event.
- Rating gain: about 131 Elo points from the tournament.
- Route to the event: Ved qualified by winning the national junior championship of the All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB) in 2025.
Why It Matters
A bronze medal at a world junior championship is a big result for any Indian chess player. It is bigger still for an 11-year-old who started the event ranked in the bottom half of the field. Ved lost only to the eventual gold and silver medallists and gained more than 130 rating points in ten days. Those numbers point to a player improving fast, not one who simply had a lucky week.
The result also draws attention to blind and visually impaired chess, which rarely gets the coverage that India's sighted stars receive. The championship gives young blind and visually impaired players their own world stage, and a medal there brings recognition that can help a child keep playing seriously. Junior results like this one also show that India's national competitions for visually impaired players are producing talent that can compete with the best of its age group abroad.
For young players with visual impairments, and for their families, a role model their own age matters. Ved's route, from a national junior title in 2025 to a world podium in 2026, shows a clear path that other children can follow through the national federation's junior events.
| Position | Player | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Michal Racis | Poland | 7.5 |
| Silver | William Johansson | Sweden | 7.5 |
| Bronze | Ved Phaur | India | 6.5 |
Impact
Short-term: Ved returns home with a world medal and a much higher rating, which should open the door to stronger tournaments and possibly support from sponsors or state sports bodies.
Long-term: If he keeps improving at this pace, Ved could become a regular member of India's teams in international blind and visually impaired chess events. His result also adds weight to calls for more junior events and coaching for visually impaired players in India.
Who is affected: Ved Phaur and his family, his coaches, the All India Chess Federation for the Blind, young visually impaired chess players across India, and schools and organisations that run chess programmes for children with visual impairments.
Key Takeaway
Eleven-year-old Ved Phaur from Maharashtra has won bronze at the IBCA World Junior Chess Championship in Crete, beating his seeding and gaining about 131 rating points.
Questions and Answers
What did Ved Phaur win?
Ved Phaur won the bronze medal at the 13th IBCA World Junior Chess Championship for blind and visually impaired players, held in Crete, Greece, from 3 to 13 October 2026.
What was Ved Phaur's score?
He scored 6.5 points out of 9 in the nine-round Swiss tournament, one point behind the gold and silver medallists, Michal Racis of Poland and William Johansson of Sweden.
How old is Ved Phaur and where is he from?
Ved Phaur is 11 years old, born on 20 November 2014, and comes from Chandrapur district in Maharashtra.
What is the IBCA?
The International Braille Chess Association is the world body that organises chess events for blind and visually impaired players, including the world junior championship.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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