Round 1: Quiet Start

The championship hosts 12 age-group categories (U8–U18), divided into Boys and Girls sections, alongside the main Open category.

Round 1 saw a smooth start across most sections, with a few notable results. In the Open section, Malaysian Lee Yun Rui held IM Raahul (India) to a draw — the biggest surprise of the round. In the U18 category, Lee Tsuen Jin Aiesec (Singapore) defeated CM Jaidambareesh N R (India) in an impressive performance.