Reyan Mohammad
By A Correspondent
Patna: Bihar’s promising young chess player, FIDE Master Reyan Mohammad, has achieved a major career milestone by securing his first International Master (IM) norm following an outstanding performance at the 19th Festival International de Marseille 2026 in Marseille, France.
The prestigious international open tournament was held from July 27 to August 2, 2026 under a nine-round Swiss-system format, attracting leading players from several countries.
Reyan scored 6.5 points from nine rounds, registering five wins, three draws and one defeat, to finish third in the overall standings. In recognition of his impressive achievement, he was awarded a cash prize of €1,200.
During the tournament, Reyan defeated India’s International Master Padmini Rout, France’s International Master Fabian Guilx, Turkey’s Grandmaster Aziz Mert Erdoğdu, England’s Samar Dayal, and India’s FIDE Master Akshat Sureka. He drew with Argentina’s International Master Ilan Schneider, France’s International Master Armen Petrosyan, and France’s Gaëtan Pozzi. His only defeat came against the tournament’s top seed, France’s International Master Rémi Degréve.
Office-bearers and members of the All Bihar Chess Association, including president Diljeet Khanna and secretary Dharmendra Kumar, congratulated Reyan on his remarkable success. They expressed confidence that he would soon secure the remaining IM norms required to earn the full International Master (IM) title and continue bringing laurels to Bihar and India.
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