At the tender age of 11 Shlok Maheshwari won a share of the 1st prize in the Major section of the 2026 Leyland Chess Congress. Unbeaten, with 3 wins and 3 draws, he made light of his 17th place starting rank in the tournament with an excellent overall performance rating of 1864. His progress through the ratings has been nothing short of stellar in the last 12 months and it would be remiss not to acknowledge the tremendous support he receives from his family in respect of his chess activities. Long may it continue.