77th National Champions
GM Tin Jingyao and WFM Sreekarthika Velmurugan have been crowned National Open and Women’s Champions respectively at the recently concluded 77th National Championships.
A total of 31 players competed over 9 hard-fought rounds spanning two weeks from 2 February 2026 at the iconic and picturesque Asian Civilisations Museum.
With this victory, Jingyao clinches his 8th National title, cementing his dominance as the country’s number one player. Reflecting on his achievement, he shared his ambition to continue his winning streak and hinted at pursuing chess more seriously, with aspirations of breaking into the world’s elite.
13-year old Sreekarthika delivered a breakthrough performance in this edition. In a pivotal Round 7 encounter, she defeated WGM Gong Qianyun, ending the latter’s remarkable 10-year reign as National Women’s Champion. She reflected, “I think I played well and was quite strong overall. I’m really happy to beat Qianyun because I know she’s really strong — I’ve played her many times and lost every time.”
Top 3 winners (Open):
- GM Tin Jingyao (8.5 pts)
- IM Liu Xiangyi (7 pts)
- WFM Sreekarthika Velmurugan (7 pts)
Top 3 winners (Women’s):
- WFM Sreekarthika Velmurugan (7 pts)
- WGM Gong Qianyun (5.5 pts)
- WCM Fang Kun (5 pts)
Full results can be found here.
SCF would once again like to thank the Asian Civilisations Museum for their continued support of the National Championships. We are certain that players created many moments of inspiration and lasting memories within the beautiful River Room.
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