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Chithambaram Aravindh is an Indian chess grandmaster. Image Credit: Supplied

Greetings Aravindh!

I am Nidhish, a 14-year-old aspiring chess player. Your accomplishments motivate me to be better at the game every day.

When I was five years old, my mom enrolled my sister and me for chess classes and from then on, I was fascinated by the complexity of this unique game but to my dismay, my sister’s busy schedule led to my mom cancelling our classes.

After this, my mom had me try several extracurricular activities such as playing the piano, classical singing, playing cricket, swimming, football, and ice skating (I broke some bones trying to master it!) and by grade 7, I found that chess was what I was missing in life. So I convinced my mom that I was passionate about chess and she managed to get me a very competent coach and I started my journey into the world of competitive chess.

Winning in local tournaments and matches conducted by various chess clubs like chess knowledge, Josh chess, etc. helped build confidence in my ability. In grade 8, I managed to secure a place in the school chess team and with our combined efforts, we went to the Nationals which I am very proud of.

Although I sometimes wonder what heights I could’ve reached if only I had expressed my passion for chess at an earlier age, nonetheless, I’m grateful to have the best parents in the world to support me to race towards endless endlessly expanding horizons.

With each tournament, each match, I grow and learn something new and I hope to become like you one day.