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Nine-year-old Kayal Vijay, a British Tamil chess player from Bishop’s Stortford in the United Kingdom, has been crowned Under-9 Girls Champion at the European Schools Chess Championship 2026 after representing England at the prestigious tournament in Croatia.
Held from 27 April to 5 May, the championship brought together young chess players from across Europe, with Kayal competing against leading players from multiple countries in the Under-9 Girls section.
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Kayal finished the tournament with an impressive score of 8 out of 9, including a remarkable streak of seven consecutive victories, securing the European title for England.
Kayal, whose parents moved to the UK from Chennai in 2010, is now being celebrated as a rising talent within the wider chess world.
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Speaking about her victory, Kayal said: “I am super happy for winning the European Schools Championship. I won 8 out of 9 and won 7 games in a row. I made friends from different countries. I really enjoyed playing in the tournament.”
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Her parents, Savitha and Vijay, described the achievement as the result of months of determination and discipline.
“We are very happy and incredibly proud of Kayal. Many months of consistent hard work, dedication & resilience have helped her to achieve this well-deserved milestone. We wish her continued success in the future!”
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Kayal’s growing reputation has also seen her featured by ChessBase, one of the world’s leading chess media and software organisations. In a feature profiling her rapid rise, the publication described her as one of England’s emerging young chess talents.
Her parents say they hope Kayal’s journey will inspire more young Tamils in the UK to pursue chess and other competitive disciplines with confidence.
Kayal regularly shares updates from her chess journey on her Instagram page, @chesstalesbykayal, where she documents tournaments, training and moments from her life as a young player balancing school and competitive chess.