Saturday, Apr 20, 2024 | Last Update : 05:34 AM IST
6-year-old becomes youngest rated chess player
Nivaan spends four-five hours a day working on his game.
Wonder kid Nivaan Khandhadia from Pune, has created history of sorts by becoming the youngest rated chess player in India, according an SMCA release. The 6-year-old Vivaan with an outstanding rating of 1,137 ELO Points, is currently world ranked no.10, according to the May 2018 FIDE rating list released by the World Chess Federation on Tuesday.
The Pune lad had participated in the recently concluded World School Chess Championship held in Albania and was the youngest candidate in the Indian contingent. However, he did not finish with a high as he scored four points from nine rounds in the Under-7 category, but he is determined to win the title in next season.
A senior KG student of the Vibgyor High School in Magarpatta, Pune, Nivaan’s introduction to the sport came when he was just four-and-half years old by his father Rathin. Having quickly picked up the moves and learnt the various strategies the youngster did not take much time to outsmart his father by winning his first game, just a couple of days after taking up the sport.
Nivaan has also received full backing and support from his school and his dad Rathin was quick to acknowledge it. “Words can’t describe my excitement at the moment. I would like to thank Vibgyor High school for all their support without which, my son wouldn’t have been able to achieve what he has done today,” said an excited Rathin.
Nivaan trains under the watchful eyes of coach Vishwanath Sandilya at the South Mumbai Chess Academy (SMCA) in Koregaon Park. Sandilya has all the reasons to be proud looking at the way his young ward has taken giant strides in chess and he believes that the kid possesses the right mindset to carry on and achieve greater laurels.
His mother Priti has heaped praise on SMCA and his coaches Bajali and Sandilya as she said, “SMCA has played a leading role in guiding my son in the right direction. They have been really supportive all this while. I would also like to thank his coaches Balaji Sir and Sandilya Sir for providing him with the right kind of guidance that he needed to excel in the sport.”
Nivaan spends four-five hours a day working on his game and learning to become better. It’s no surprise that he has already won a total of 17 trophies and nine medals at the district and state level. He stood third at the state level, bagged the seventh position in the state school level and the 13th position at the national school level in the U-7 age category competitions. All this and he’s not even seven!
With the way, Nivaan is taking strides in the sport, the day isn’t far when he fulfills his dream of becoming a grandmaster. An ardent admirer of Norgwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, has well and truly become one of the hottest properties in the Maharashtrian chess circuit today.
