IRVING, Texas - An 8-year-old Irving chess player has captured an international championship, earning a perfect score while representing the United States and becoming one of the youngest players to receive an official international chess title.
Sarayu Thalapaneni, a student at Great Hearts Irving, won the gold medal in the Girls Under-8 division at the XXXVI Pan-American Youth Chess Championship, held July 26 through Aug. 2 in Medellín, Colombia.
Competing against the top youth players from North, Central and South America, Sarayu finished the nine-round tournament with a flawless 9-0 record, winning every match to claim the championship.
The victory came in her first-ever international tournament.
Earns International FIDE Title
With the championship, Sarayu earned the prestigious Women Candidate Master (WCM) title from the International Chess Federation (known by the French acronym FIDE), making her one of the youngest players to achieve the distinction.
Her victory also positions her to be nominated as the Pan-American continental champion to compete in the FIDE World Cadets Championship this November in the Girls Under-8 division.
In the final standings, Sarayu claimed the gold medal, while Rebeca Victoria Callupe Matías of Peru earned silver and Annika Manchanda of Cedar Park, Texas, captured bronze.
Rising Star in International Chess
Sarayu currently attends Great Hearts Irving, a tuition-free public charter school offering a classical liberal arts education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
According to her supporters, she is currently ranked the No. 1 Girls Under-8 player in the world by FIDE rating for the January through April 2026 rating period.
Her achievement marks one of the most significant youth chess accomplishments by an Irving student on the international stage and brings a Pan-American championship title home to North Texas.
