The 61st National Chess Championship saw a strong showing by female players, with Shubhi Gupta and Kiran Manisha Mohanty facing off against top contenders Surya Shekhar Ganguly and S.P. Sethuraman. Despite their valiant efforts, both women lost their matches. Young talent Siddhant Gawai drew with Abhijeet Gupta, marking a significant achievement for the 17-year-old.