Trio make Tamil Nadu proud

Chennai:  India won eight medals at the world youth chess championship in the UAE recently. Not surprisingly, Tamil Nadu’s share was two gold and one bronze. IM Karthikeyan Murali finished on top in the U-16 category and R. Praggnanandhaa — Prag for future reference — claimed the U-8 gold.

C. Lakshmi completed the state’s medal haul by winning bronze in the U-10 girls’ section. Karthikeyan and Lakshmi had to wait for some time to know their final positions because both of them had been involved in a tie-breaker. Prag, though, had no such worries. The two-time Asian champion from Chennai won all his 11 rounds to clinch his first world title in style.

It was a second world title for Karthikeyan. The youngster with a GM norm had won the U-12 gold in Brazil two years ago. He also has a bronze (U-10) from the worlds.

“Winning the gold in the U-16 category was tougher because the field had a lot of quality players. In higher age groups, the competition is fierce. The tie-breaker didn’t worry me much because I would have been happy even with a silver medal,” Karthikeyan said.

Bloom Chess Academy’s chief coach M.A. Velayudham is ecstatic because both gold medallists from Tamil Nadu belong to his school. He has been Karthikeyan’s guru for a long time while his assistant S. Thyagarajan has shaped the career of Prag.

“Karthikeyan’s talent is beyond doubt and I knew he would be among medallists. The gold was a surprise. I must mention that Karthikeyan was still eligible to play in the U-14 section,” Velayudham said.

Thyagarajan heaped praise on Prag. “The UAE world championship is one of the toughest in recent years because Russians participated in large numbers. Prag is destined for greater achievements. Even though he is playing in the U-8 category, the boy is good enough to play in the open section. He can win medals in the U-12 and U-14 categories,” he said.

According to the coach, Prag ticks all the boxes. “He is obviously talented. But what I like more about the boy is his dedication to the game. Coaching is helpful only to an extent. The players have to work on their own at home. Otherwise they can’t win international medals. Prag can sit for seven hours in coaching class and can still finish the homework I give him in the same day,” Thyagarajan added.

Prag’s father A. Ramshbabu echoed the views of the coach. “He is generally mischievous and restless. But he is a picture of calmness when he plays chess. Prag had set himself a target of reaching 2000 elo points in rating before the end of 2013. He is almost there. I don’t have to motivate him in chess; he knows what he has to do,” he said.

Another great advantage for Prag is his older sister Vaishali is also a prominent chess player. Vaishali is a multiple winner of national, Asian and world titles.

Rameshbabu said chess has become an inseparable part of his children’s lives. “They discuss moves before they go to sleep every day. Those who play competitive chess don’t need a board to study moves,” he added.

Even though Prag swept the title with an all-win record, he found the tournament a big challenge. He was keen to celebrate his maiden world title with hours of cycling. “I will also get permission from my parents to watch TV while eating,” the champion said. Prag may have conquered the world but his wishes are still typical of eight-year-olds.

Prag’s all-win record at the world championship is a landmark for an Indian, according to chess coach Arvind Aaron. “As far as I remember, no one from the country has claimed a world title with an all-win record. Prag had won all his rounds in the state and national championships. He dropped half-a-point en route to the Asian title,” he said.

Lakshmi, a fifth standard student at Bhavans Rajaji Vidyashram, is another bright kid on the block. After missing out on the bronze in the U-8 category at the world championship two years ago by a whisker, she has now won the same medal through the tiebreaker.

A world medal was the only missing piece of silverware from her trophy shelf. Lakshmi has a complete set of medals at the national championship besides two silver medals and gold from the Asian championship.

Lakshmi said she was delighted to win her first world medal. “I will try for gold in the next championship,” she added. C. Chidambaram, Lakshmi’s father, said his daughter loves playing chess.
“I don’t have to tell her anything regarding chess. She does everything on her own. I think her passion is winning her medals,” he added.

Lakshmi’s coach G. Ravi Kumar said the world bronze medallist had the spark even when she was four years old. “When I first saw her play chess I knew she would go places. She is sharp and her understanding of the game is spontaneous,” he added.