– Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata)

Rated 2,348 worldwide by FIDE (Federation Internationale des Echecs), Adhiraj Mitra (14) — a class IX student of Jamshedpur’s top-ranked Loyola School — is the highest rated chess player in Jharkhand’s history, and fast emerging as a promising sports icon.

At the Commonwealth Youth Chess Championship 2026 held in Kalutara (Sri Lanka) in May, Adhiraj bagged a gold medal in the Blitz format, silver in the Rapid, and bronze in the Classical format of the Under-14 Open category. The event attracted the participation of over 500 players from 14 countries. Earlier in November last year, Adhiraj was crowned Blitz chess champion in the Under-14 Open category at the Commonwealth Chess Championship in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

Several times state champion Adhiraj won his first national gold at the National School Chess Championship (U-9) in 2021 followed by a silver at the School Games Federation of India Nationals in 2023, and a bronze at the 2024 National School Chess Championship (U-17).

Born and raised in Jamshedpur to a mind-games loving family — his Ranchi-based uncle Abhishek Das, Jamshedpur-based uncle Dushyant Das and his Kolkata aunt Alka Das are all former national-level chess players — Adhiraj was introduced to chess at age six by his grandfather Ambika Das with whom he spent hours learning this mind game during his summer holidays.

Encouraged by his parents — father Uttam Mitra, a businessman in the construction industry, and homemaker mother Runa — who are convinced about his ‘natural talent’, Adhiraj started training in 2018 with his uncles for six hours daily. The following year, he also signed up with Ashok Varma, a highly respected former coach of the Tata Steel Chess Training Centre. Since 2025, Adhiraj is associated with Chennai’s Chola Chess Academy.

“Although I enjoy competing and winning chess tournaments, over the years I have come to understand it is an expensive sport to pursue. International travel, accommodation, entry fees and high-level training add up. But to earn the norms and rating points that lead to a world title — my ultimate dream — I need to compete in multiple international tournaments which require corporate sponsorships,” rues the young chess prodigy, currently training for the Asian Junior Open Championship, scheduled for August 16 in Mumbai.

Good luck!