Tadam Dupit has emerged as the champion of the Arunachal Pradesh State-Level Open FIDE Rating Chess Championship-2026, held in Itanagar from July 15 to 19. Dupit and his brother Tabu Dupit earned 7½ points each, but Tadam took the title on tie-break. Tachung Dupit, also a sibling of the champion, finished third with 7 points, while Karu Julai Londa of East Kameng secured fourth place with the same score.
Notably, all three Dupit brothers - Tadam, Tabu, and Tachung - are from the same family and have showcased exceptional chess skills. The top four finishers in the championship have qualified to represent Arunachal Pradesh in the forthcoming National Chess Championship to be held in Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, the top 15 players have earned qualification for the North East Chess Championship.
The championship saw the participation of 129 players from across the state and highlighted the rapid growth of grassroots chess in Arunachal Pradesh. Children as young as eight years old competed with remarkable confidence, and several age-category winners performed impressively in the open event by scoring valuable points against experienced players. AAPCA president Niapung Konia congratulated all the winners and appealed to the chess fraternity to actively mentor young children and nurture emerging talent.
He assured that the association would continue extending every possible logistical support to coaches and players. The championship was inaugurated by MLA Likha Soni, and the prizes were distributed by Superintending Engineer Marter Riba during the closing ceremony. The winners of the various age categories included Kej Yaka (U-17 girls), Tomo Doyom (U-13 girls), Posmi Ronya (U-11 girls), Tenzing Rigyal (U-17 boys), Podha Ronya (U-13 boys), and Dogom Gara (U-11 boys).
Devani Mara won the women’s category, while Suresh Maying was declared the best unrated player and Niapung Konia the best veteran.
