The 26th Nepal National Chess Championship and the 11th Nepal Women’s National Chess Championship 2026 concluded in Hotel Kamakshya, Damak, Koshi Province.
Held from 14–19 June 2026, the event brought together the country’s top chess players, with 12 qualified participants competing in Open and Women’s categories under a round-robin format. The championships were organized jointly by the Province Sports Development Board, Koshi Province, and the Jhapa District Chess Association under the auspices of the Nepal Chess Federation.
In the Open section, top seed FM Rupesh Jaiswal successfully defended his national title, scoring an impressive 9.5/11. The champion completed the event undefeated and finished two points ahead of runner-up Ashish Phunyal.
In the Women’s section, Kritisara Adhikari delivered an excellent performance and, despite a sixth-round setback, emerged as the champion with 8.5/11. Pooja Bhandari and Nihana Shrestha claimed silver and bronze, respectively.
Based on their performances in the national championships, the following players qualified to represent Nepal at the 46th Chess Olympiad:
Open Team:
- FM Rupesh Jaiswal
- Ashish Phunyal
- Rajan Subedi
- CM Sushrut Dahal
- CM Purushottam Dilwal
Women’s Team:
- Sindira Joshi
- Kritisara Adhikari
- Pooja Bhandari
- Nihana Shrestha
- Angel Maharjan
The Nepal Chess Federation congratulates all participants, winners, and qualifiers and extends its appreciation to the organizers, officials, sponsors, and supporters who contributed to the successful conduct of the championships.