GCF National Chess Championships: Khan, Joshi stay on course to retain titles

Defending champions Candidate Master (CM) Taffin Khan and Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Aditi Joshi strengthened their grip on the 2026 National Chess Championships as the competition continued yesterday at the David Rose Special School, with both players producing commanding performances through Rounds Five and Six
Khan, the reigning men’s champion, leads the Open standings with 5.5 points from six rounds, maintaining his unbeaten run and holding a slim advantage over CM Sachin Pitamber, who is on five points. The seasoned campaigner has been in dominant form and reinforced his position with back-to-back wins in Rounds Five and Six.
In Round Five, Khan defeated Jaden Taylor, while Pitamber kept pace with a victory over CM Ronuel Greenidge. International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation (FIDE) Master (FM) Anthony Drayton remained in contention after overcoming Alexander Zhang, and Kyle Couchman also secured a win against Rolex Antoine Alexander.
Round Six saw Khan extend his lead with another important victory, this time defeating Greenidge. Pitamber delivered one of the key results of the round by beating Drayton, keeping the pressure on the leader. Couchman added to his tally with a win over Taylor, while Keron Sandiford defeated Alexander. Zhang completed the round with a win against Leslie Campbell.
The chasing pack remains tightly grouped, with Drayton, Couchman, and Sandiford all on 4.5 points, setting up an intriguing battle for the top positions as the tournament progresses.
Meanwhile, in the Women’s Championship, defending champion WCM Aditi Joshi has been in imperious form, registering six consecutive wins to lead the standings with a perfect six points. Her dominance has placed her firmly on course to retain her title.
Joshi continued her flawless run in Round Five with a victory over Sana Sreebalakumar before defeating Ciel Clement in Round Six to remain unbeaten.
WCM Jessica Callender and WCM Sasha Shariff remain her closest challengers, both on five points after six rounds. Callender recorded successive wins over Anaya Lall and Sreebalakumar, while Shariff defeated Italy’s Tonne-Chung in Round Five and then played to a draw with Treskole Archibald in Round Six.
Clement sits fourth with four points, while Kataleya Sam and Anaya Lall remain within reach of the leaders on three and 2.5 points, respectively.
The championships are set to intensify today at the same venue, with Rounds Seven and Eight scheduled to be contested. It will conclude next Saturday, March 28, with the ninth and final round. Khan will aim to maintain his narrow lead in the Open division, while Joshi looks well on track to defend her women’s title. (Michelangelo Jacobus)