Sarbartho Mani, a nine-year-old from Kolkata, has once again proven his growing international chess stature by winning the bronze medal in the Under-10 open category at the World Cadet Chess Championship, which was recently held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

This latest win adds to Mani’s already outstanding track record. In July of this year, he won gold in the same age category in the World Cadet Chess Cup in Batumi, Georgia. His back-to-back podium finishes underline his consistency and potential on the world stage.

Mani began the tournament in Almaty on a high note, winning his first six games in a row and establishing himself as a strong contender for the title. However, a key mistake in a rook endgame versus Russia’s Aidan Gafurov in the tenth round put an end to his charge. That defeat, his only one in the championship, pushed him down the leaderboard at a decisive stage.

Despite the setback, Mani displayed, scoring 2.5 points in the final five rounds for a total of 8.5 points from 11 rounds. He tied on points with Serbia’s Leonid Ivanovic and Sri Lanka’s A. P. Chenitha Karusena, but won the bronze medal on tie-breaks.