A LITTLE GIRL'S CHECKMATE

Sharvaanica AS is the third Indian girl to claim the World Under-10 crown, after Grandmasters Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh

- DIYA MARIA GEORGE

IN a quiet corner of a tournament hall in Kazhakstan, a 10-year-old from sat diligently across the chessboard. Her first game at the World Cadet Chess Championship 2025 ended in a loss. For a moment, her heart sank. Then, Sharvaanica AS remembered her vow to Lord Muruga. She straightened her pieces, whispered a prayer, and smiled.

What followed was a stunning climb, nine consecutive victories. In the final round, she faced a tough loss against America’s Zhou Abigail, but her work was already done. Finishing with nine points out of 11, she was tied with Mongolia’s Nandinjiguur Chinzorig. The tiebreak, their direct encounter, went to Sharvaanica, who had won their eighth-round match, securing her the gold medal.

Among nearly 30 Indian contenders, she was the sole title-winner. With this victory, Sharvaanica became the third Indian girl to claim the World Under-10 crown, following in the footsteps of Grandmasters Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh.

Small town to world stage

From Udayarpalayam, a small town in Tamil Nadu’s Ariyalur district, Sharvaanica’s world is far removed from the international chess circuit. Her journey is financed by a collage of family sacrifices. Her mother, Anburoja, recalls the seed of this dream. “She would say, ‘I will win a medal for India’,” she says. “We would all laugh. ‘You have just started learning...”