Top Seed Nubairshah Shaikh Wins 4th KTBS Rapid Rating 2026
Devansh Singh·2 min read
International Master Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh lived up to his top-seed status by winning the 4th KTBS Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026, held at The Cambria International School. The event saw over 290 players competing for a total prize fund of ₹3,00,000. Nubairshah dominated the field, finishing with an impressive score of 8.5/9. His victory earns him the top prize of ₹50,000. IM Nikhil Dixit and Sharnarthi Shlok of Maharashtra scored 8/9 points, but better tiebreaks helped IM Nikhil Dixit to secure the second place and ₹35,000, while Sharnarthi Shlok secured third place and won ₹20,000. Photo Credit: Akshat Prajapati
Top-seeded Nubairshah Shaikh once again proved why he is so good in shorter time formats, with just one draw and eight clinical wins against a field filled with IMs. Nubairshah won the event with a clear half-point lead. He maintained a clear lead throughout the nine rounds, securing the title by a half-point margin. Going into the last round, he was on 7.5/8 points, and in the previous round with the black pieces, he won his game against Kashish Manoj Jain to secure the title. Two players, Nikhil Dixit and Shlok Sharnarthi, finished on 8/9 points, and 3 players, Anirudhha Potawad, Bhoir Paras Dilip, and Arvind Iyer, finished on 7.5/9 points to secure 4th to 6th positions.
Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh scored 8.5/9 to secure first place. He was unbeaten in the event and gained 29 rating points
Kashish Manoj Jain Vs Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh, Round 9. Winning this game helped Nubairshah Shaikh to secure first place.
IM Nikhil Dixit played some fantastic chess to score 8/9 points. He increased his rating by 46 points after beating 4 IMs in the event.
Untitled Shlok Sharnarthi, who has had a tremendous run in recent tournaments, continued his strong performance and scored 8/9 points, increasing his rating by 87 points. He was also unbeaten in the event with 2 draws and 7 wins.
Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh Vs Sharnarthi Shlok
Top 3: From Left to Right with Trophies, IM Nikhil Dixit (Second Place), Shlok Sharnathi (Third Place), IM Nubairshah Shaikh (Champion)
Tournament Hall
Nikhil Dixit vs Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh Round 7
It's always a special moment for kids to win trophies
The Happiness of winning an award is surreal
The relief of winning that trophy after 9 rounds!!!
Watch the video covering the event from the ground by Mr. Ravindra Potawad of Chessbase India
