Fakir Majhi from Rayagada district won the title in the 66th Odisha State Senior Chess Championship, which was organized by All Odisha Chess Association (AOCA), in association with KIIT University at Viswanathan Anand Chess Hall, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar from 25 to 29 July 2026.

Majhi, a B Tech student of the School of Engineering, KIIT University, scored eight points from nine rounds with eight wins and one defeat. He bagged the top prize of Rs 20,000. Siddhesh Kamila (Balasore) finished runner-up with seven points and received a prize of Rs 15,000.

Ayushman Mohanty (Puri) and Swapnil Priyadarshi (Khordha) secured the third and fourth positions respectively. A total of 145 players from 24 districts participated in the State championship, paying an entry fee of Rs 990 each. The top four finishers qualified to represent Odisha in the 63rd Senior National Chess Championship, scheduled to be held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, from 28 December 2026 to 7 January 2027.

FINAL RANKINGS (Top 10): 1. Fakir Majhi (Rayagada, 8 pts), 2. Siddhesh Kamila (Balasore, 7), 3. Ayushman Mohanty (Puri, 7), 4. Swapnil Priyadarshi (Khordha, 7), 5. Ashirwad Swain (Nayagarh, 7), 6. Tapan Badamundi (Gajapati, 7), 7. Omm Aditya Khadanga (Khordha, 7), 8. Ayush Pattanaik (Khordha, 7), 9. Jagadish Barik (Puri, 6.5), 10. Satyam Sarbajit Mishra (Khordha, 6.5).
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PHOTO: Fakir Majhi receives the winners trophy at the 66th Odisha State Senior Chess Championship in Bhubaneswar on 29 July 2026.