Pranav and Shukhman are the 2025 world junior champions

The 2025 World Junior Chess Championship took place from 26 February to 7 March in Petrovac, Montenegro, featuring nearly 260 players from 67 countries. GM Pranav Venkatesh won gold in the open section with an unbeaten 9/11, while WIM Anna Shukhman secured victory in the girls’ event with the same score. The competition saw strong performances from FM Matic Lavrencic, GM Elham Amar, WIM Ayan Allahverdiyeva and IM Miaoyi Lu, who reached the podiums in their cateegories. | Photo: Mitar Djukanovic