4 days ago
At 11, Bengaluru's Charvi making heads turn at Norway Open
STAVANGER: India's chess conveyor belt shows no signs of slowing down. One of the latest to emerge from the seemingly limitless pool is Charvi A, who has already made the likes of Viswanathan Anand sit up and take notice. The 11-year-old, currently in action at the Norway Open event in the city, is a WFM (Woman Fide Master).
Already an age-group world champion, what makes the Bengaluru-based Charvi special is the way she's laser-focused in her chess. Even in a game where obsessives are dime-a-dozen, it's unheard of for somebody as young as her to set boundaries. For example, she has already told her parents to not reveal the identity of her coach (she has worked with Swayams Mishra and RB Ramesh in the past).
Her dedication also lies in her wanting to learn from her mistakes. After every game, she makes it a point to have a debrief with all of her opponents. "It can go on for 30 minutes also," her mother, Akhila, who left behind her IT job, says. She and her husband Anil Kumar had to rely on YouTube to understand the game and keep pace with their daughter.
Her parents were undecided on her daughter pursuing chess but after she won the Under-8 girls World Championship, they were sold on her obvious talents (post that, she also got the highest civilian award given to children for her chess exploits). They were okay pulling her out of school (she only visits to give term exams) apart from customising her training schedule. Apart from chess training, she also goes for swimming and badminton classes in the evening to ensure she gets some physical activity on a daily basis.
Charvi has had a mixed Open event but that's to be expected at this level as the players she faces are either higher rated or have more experience. But it will stand her in good stead going forward.
