Experienced Kendrapara campaigner Smaraki Mohanty won the title in the Odisha State Senior Women FIDE Rated Chess Championship, scoring seven points from eight rounds at KIIT University, Bhubaneswar today. This was the record 11th State senior women title for Smaraki, who won six games and drew two.

Snehayukta Behera (Ganjam), Shradha Smaranika Nanda (Kataka) and Yashita Rout (Khordha) secured the second, third and fourth positions respectively. The top four finishers qualified to represent Odisha in the National Women Chess Championship, scheduled to be held at Sri Chaitanya Future Pathways Global School in Hyderabad from 30 November 10 December 2026.

The four-day State championship was organised by the Jagatsinghpur District Chess Association (JDCA), under the aegis of the All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA), with the support of the Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha.

A total of 66 players, including 34 FIDE rated, participated in the championship, which carried a total prize fund of Rs 50,500. Champion Smaraki received Rs 15,000, while runner-up Snehayukta was given Rs 10,000.