Chess Journey
Siddhanth Poonja is a FIDE Master from Bengaluru and one of the most consistent medal-winners of his generation in Karnataka. He has trained with IM Sharan Rao of Mangalore since 2022 and is mentored by CM Sudarshan Bhat of Bangalore, alongside his studies at Sindhi High School, Hebbal.
His record across 2023 and 2024 is unusually broad — six Karnataka State titles, including the state U-13, U-15 and U-17 Open championships and the State Blitz championship, several of them won against opponents several years older. On the international stage he medalled at both the Commonwealth Youth and Asian Youth championships in 2024, and he took his first IM norm in 2025.
Bronze in the U-11 Open category at the MPL 11th National Schools Chess Championship, Hosur.
Won the Karnataka State U-13 Open championship at Mysore and the U-17 Open championship at Belgaum, and finished 3rd in the U-15 championship at Kalburgi. Took Silver at the 36th National U-11 Open Championship in Visakhapatnam in October, and placed 7th at the 36th National U-13 Open in Secunderabad in December.
Silver in the U-12 Open Rapid and Bronze in the U-12 Open Standard formats at the Asian Youth Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Gold in U-12 Blitz and Bronze in U-12 Standard at the Commonwealth Youth Chess Championship in Kalutara, Sri Lanka. Won four Karnataka State titles in a single year — the State Blitz championship in Bangalore, plus the U-13 Open at Chikkamagalur, the U-15 Open at Hassan and the U-17 Open at Mangalore. Also competed at the World Junior Chess Championship, finishing 14th.
Reached a peak standard rating of 2336 in November and earned the FIDE Master title. Secured his first IM norm in the Sakthi group at the 32nd Tamil Nadu IM Norm tournament in Chennai. Took Silver at the 38th National U-13 Open Championship in Madgaon, Goa in September.
International Achievements
- Gold, U-12 Blitz, Commonwealth Youth Chess Championship 2024 — Kalutara, Sri Lanka
- Bronze, U-12 Standard, Commonwealth Youth Chess Championship 2024 — Kalutara, Sri Lanka
- Silver, U-12 Open Rapid, Asian Youth Championship, June 2024 — Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Bronze, U-12 Open Standard, Asian Youth Championship, June 2024 — Almaty, Kazakhstan
- 14th place, World Junior Chess Championship 2024
National Achievements
- Silver, 38th National U-13 Open Championship, September 2025 — Madgaon, Goa
- Silver, 36th National U-11 Open Championship, October 2023 — Visakhapatnam
- Bronze, MPL 11th National Schools Chess Championship U-11 Open, January 2023 — Hosur
- 7th place, 36th National U-13 Open Championship, December 2023 — Secunderabad
- 9th place, 37th National U-13 Open Championship, December 2024 — Durgapur
State Titles
Six Karnataka State titles to date:
- Winner, Karnataka State Blitz Championship 2024 — Bangalore
- Winner, Karnataka State U-17 Open Championship 2024 — Mangalore
- Winner, Karnataka State U-15 Open Championship 2024 — Hassan
- Winner, Karnataka State U-13 Open Championship 2024 — Chikkamagalur
- Winner, Karnataka State U-17 Open Championship 2023 — Belgaum
- Winner, Karnataka State U-13 Open Championship 2023 — Mysore
- 3rd place, Karnataka State U-15 Championship 2023 — Kalburgi
FIDE Rating Progression
| Period | Standard | Rapid | Blitz |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 2188 | 2198 | 2123 |
| August 2026 | 2188 | 2187 | 2127 |
| July 2026 | 2164 | 2251 | 2052 |
| April 2026 | 2198 | 2226 | 2093 |
| January 2026 | 2299 | 2121 | 2129 |
| November 2025 (peak) | 2336 | 2161 | 1980 |
| March 2025 | 2064 | 2001 | 2037 |
Full rating history and tournament calculations available on his FIDE profile.
Training & Education
- Coach: IM Sharan Rao, Mangalore, Karnataka — since 2022
- Mentor: CM Sudarshan Bhat, Bangalore
- School: Sindhi High School, Hebbal, Bangalore