LUCKNOW, July 14 -- Nine-year-old Ayansh Singh from Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, finished second behind Ryan Mikael Rosario of Tamil Nadu at the 39th National Under-9 Open Chess Championship 2026 in Ranchi. The youngster, FIDE rated 1768, amassed nine points from 11 rounds and earned him qualification to represent India at the upcoming World Under-9 Chess Championship and the Asian Chess Championship. A fourth-grade student at St Joseph's School, Ayansh held the sole lead after eight rounds with 7.5 points. Ayansh suffered a setback in Round 9, losing to Rajasthan's Viyansh Bhatnagar, but bounced back to draw with Uttar Pradesh's Shivay Singh in Round 10 and closed his tournament on a high by defeating Sha Jinsan Samuel of Andaman & Nicobar in the 11th and final round. The champion, Rosario, finished on 9.5 points. The highlight of his campaign was defeating the higher-rated Siddharth Anuj (FIDE rating 1893). In April 2026 Ayansh won the Uttar Pradesh State Under-9 Chess Championship in Sitapur. Ayansh hails from Jhulanipur village, almost 40km from Maharajganj district and is coached locally. His father Ram Vilas Singh who is a primary school teacher said he will appeal to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for financial support to fund higher level of training for Ayansh. "I taught him the basics at home, but now I am unable to manage funds for his top-level coaching. Even now for his international trips I need financial support," Ram Vilas said on Monday. "We come from a middle-class background and managing huge funds for my son is almost impossible," he added. Singh also expressed gratitude to CJ Thomas, secretary Maharajganj of Chess Association for his support, and appealed to well-wishers and institutions to back Ayansh's journey. With a current FIDE rating of 1768 and international events on the horizon, timely financial backing and advanced coaching could be pivotal in translating Ayansh's national promise into international success....