India’s Shubhi Gupta underlined her prowess as she clinched the girls U-16 gold and girls U-20 bronze medals in the just-concluded Commonwealth Chess Championships in Kalutara, Sri Lanka.

A Women FIDE Master and the reigning U-19 girls’ national champion, Shubhi left a lasting impression with her performance in the U-16 category, securing seven wins and two draws.

With an exceptional score of eight points out of a possible nine, she outclassed her competition, finishing ahead of compatriots Mrittika Mallick (7 points) and Yashvi Jain (6.5 points), who took second and third place respectively.

Shubhi further showed her competitive spirit in the Open category, competing against seasoned Grandmasters, International Masters, and Women Grandmasters.

She scored 4.5 points to finish in third place in the U-20 girls’ division, securing her a bronze medal.

Reflecting on her success, Shubhi said: “It was a fantastic experience, playing against some of the top international players. I am happy that I could perform consistently in both U-16 and the Open category.

“Winning the Commonwealth U-12 title and the World Cadet Championship were important milestones in my journey, and this latest success has boosted my confidence further.”

Shubhi won a prize purse of Rs 1 lakh.

The young talent from Ghaziabad was first introduced to chess by her father and has consistently delivered outstanding performances on the national and international platforms.

She previously won the U-12 gold at the Commonwealth Youth Chess Championship and claimed the World Cadet Championship title in the same age category two years ago.