Commonwealth gold medallist and top-ranked chess player of Jammu & Kashmir, Meenal Gupta, is set to make a return to competitive chess at both the UT and national level.

Meenal, who had taken a break from active chess to focus on her higher studies and career, hinted at her comeback during an interaction with her coach, Vivek Gupta, and young trainees at the Vivek Chess Academy.
Reflecting on her journey, Meenal, daughter of former J&K champion Atul Gupta, said, “Chess runs in my family, and it was my father who instilled a passion in me and encouraged me to achieve something in the game.” She also credited her coach Vivek Bharti, a former J&K champion, for shaping her competitive skills and guiding her to become a national champion.
“Like many athletes, I considered quitting chess multiple times to focus on studies. However, my father and coach motivated me to maintain a balance between academics and sports, which eventually led to my Commonwealth gold and silver medals,” she added.
Meenal, who has not played competitively for some time, expressed regret over the hiatus and said, “This time, the decision to return is entirely mine. I feel I can still achieve higher goals, especially considering my past performances, including draws against current world champions Divya Deshmukh and Gukesh during Commonwealth events.”
Her career-high FIDE rating of 2068 reflects her skill and potential. Meenal began her formal chess training under Vivek Bharti at the Vivek Chess Academy, learning advanced strategies and techniques alongside future talents such as Soham Kamotra, J&K’s first International Master.
With her renewed determination, the chess fraternity eagerly anticipates the return of one of Jammu & Kashmir’s finest players to the competitive arena.