Chess prodigy Charvi's single-minded focus to master craft

VISWANATHAN Anand likened her to a 'star'. Swayams Mishra, a popular Indian coach, called her 'very talented'. The '64 Squares Initiative' are part funding her every move across the globe. Group E4, an Anand-backed campaign where Indian families from around the world support young chess players, funds her drive to the top.

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN @ Stavanger

Meet Charvi A, an 11-year-old who's already marrying off-the-board dedication with on-the-board precision. An age-group world champion, Charvi, currently featuring at the Norway Open tournament in the city, is showing an unnatural appetite for elite-level competition now. Her clarity of thought is so clear she only goes to school for her mid-term and annual exams. She's also secretive about who her current coach is. Rated 2056 in Classical, the WFM (Women FIDE Master) has a laundry list of accomplishments to her name. In fact, in 2024 she was bestowed with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by President Droupadi Murmu (India's highest civilian award given to children). Behind Charvi's rise is the tale of a mother's sacrifice, parents' willingness to allow their only child to specialise in chess at such a