Ahaan has sights set on highest chess accolade

YOUNG Bendigo chess player Ahaan Tadakamadla has high hopes for his future in the game – and given his success at a recent interschool tournament, he’s already well on his way.

The year 5 Girton Grammar School pupil won seven out of seven contests at the Northern Star Chess interschool zonal tournament at Eaglehawk North Primary School earlier this month, helping his Girton team take out top honours.

The eight-member team scored 21.5 points to earn the title of zonal school champion, and will now progress to a state semi-final event later this school year.

About 20 primary schools from the northern region and 80 players competed at the tournament.

For Ahaan, his achievement was very exciting, particularly as it earnt him the Star of the Tournament Trophy.

He said he had hoped to win five or six games out of his seven, and was very happy with the eventual result.

And such is his love for the game, Ahaan said he would like to one day become a grandmaster – the highest individual honour achievable on the world stage.

Ahaan’s father, Santosh, said his son began chess at the age of seven on the suggestion of his mother Jyothi, who thought it would improve his analytical and thinking skills.

He said Ahaan, who is 10, really took to it and now is a regular at the Chess on the Hill events on Sundays and Bendigo Chess Club Wednesday night gatherings.

“He’s become more patient,” Mr Tadakamadla said, adding that the young star had also learnt humility and that winning and losing is part of the game.

“He plays with young kids at Chess on the Hill on Sundays and he wins a lot of those games, but when he goes to the chess club on Wednesdays sometimes he gets beaten by the seniors.

“So he doesn’t feel bad if he loses a game; it’s just part of the game.

“He’s improving with every tournament he’s playing. As he’s doing each tournament he’s getting more and more comfortable.

“He looks forward to Wednesdays and Sundays; he can’t miss them for anything.”

Mr Tadakamadla said Ahaan’s love of chess had evolved rapidly and he had become quite serious about it, now even starting to get involved in ‘classic’ games that can go on for as long as three hours.

“We’ll continue to support him; he’s on a good journey now and he’s not very emotionally connected to winning and losing,” he said. “He’s okay with that.”