NEW DELHI: The 12 months was 2022. The Tamil Nadu Chess Affiliation had organised a camp in Pollachi for the state’s strongest junior gamers, those that had certified for the junior nationals. Ilamparthi, then solely 13, wasn’t certainly one of them. But, clutching his grandfather’s hand, he confirmed up anyway.“He got here along with his grandfather simply to fulfill me,” remembers Grandmaster (GM) Shyam Sundar Mohanraj, certainly one of India’s most revered chess coaches, chatting with TimesofIndia.com. “He was very shy, spoke in a respectful slang as they communicate in that Pollachi-Coimbatore space.”

Recognising the spark of genius inside him, Shyam determined to make the teenager his protege. Three years later, he’s now India’s ninetieth Grandmaster.What’s within the identify?The identify, Ilamparthi, has a that means that just about predicts his journey. “It’s a cute Tamil identify,” his father, Ravikumar, a 47-year-old software program engineer, tells TimesofIndia.com. “’Ilam’ means younger and ‘Parthi’ means solar. Collectively, it means the early morning solar.”Like all conventional Chennai household, although Ravikumar knew chess, it was Ilamparthi’s mom, P Gayathri, a science trainer, who first launched him to the board.“She taught him to arrange the items,” Ravikumar recounts. “Then I taught him the principles and laws, and he understood rapidly.”By the point the 2009-born prodigy was 5, he was already competing on the nationwide circuit.“In 2014, he performed the Beneath-5 Nationals in Delhi and gained the title,” says his father. “After that got here the Beneath-7 crown and gold on the Asian Championship. That’s once we realised he had one thing particular.”Hardships behind the scenes

Ilamparthi AR along with his coach GM Shyam Sundar. (Photograph by Particular Association)

Behind the medals, the household has continued to struggle a number of quiet battles.“Chess is just not like different sports activities,” says Ravikumar. “You journey lots for every event, and a event runs for a lot of days, and also you spend lots on journey, meals and keep. It provides up quick.”As Ilamparthi improved, the bills acquired greater.“As soon as he reached the next ranking, he needed to go overseas,” admits the daddy. “Taking part in tournaments solely in India wouldn’t assist him enhance. Every worldwide journey prices three to 4 lakh rupees.”Some aid got here by way of scholarships and CSR funding, however not sufficient. “Sponsors are very onerous to search out in chess,” he states.At residence, Ravikumar’s youthful son, now 12, is a particular baby with epilepsy. “He can not communicate, stroll or something,” says Ravikumar. “So, we have now to do the whole lot for him. At one level, I couldn’t journey with Ilam anymore… From early 2025, he began travelling alone. It has been the identical for the final seven, eight months.”An obedient one

Ilamparthi AR concerned in intense coaching at a chess academy. (Photograph by Particular Association)

Amid the mounting stress and off-the-board worries, Ilamparthi finds solace within the hut of his chess guru.“Every time he’s in Chennai, he’s both at my residence or on the academy,” says Shyam. “He’s very hardworking and disciplined. No social media, no distractions. He doesn’t even watch films. As soon as he noticed a photograph of me with actor Sivakarthikeyan in my academy and requested who he was. That’s how little he is aware of about cinema.”At Shyam’s academy, Chess Thulir, gamers usually swap chessboards for cricket bats as all of them go away their chairs and take the sphere, the place Ilamparthi reveals a contact of the previous Indian skipper MS Dhoni’s trademark “blink-and-miss-it” magic behind the stumps.“After we began going for cricket, I nonetheless do not forget that he grew to become too good at wicket-keeping expertise,” Shyam laughs. “In a fraction of a second, he would obtain the ball and hit the stumps. For our beginner degree, it was simply beautiful.”That very same quickness reveals up on the board.“He loves fixing puzzles,” provides the coach. “Even robust GMs take 15 or 20 minutes for a puzzle; Ilam finishes in three to 5. He used to unravel 20 or 30 a day. I instructed him to cease for a bit as a result of it was affecting his play. He merely mentioned, ‘Okay, sir.’ No questions requested. Later, one other man from my academy requested him if they might clear up one collectively, and he replied, ‘Sir instructed me to not.’ He has this self-discipline.”A GM title earned with enduranceFor Ilamparthy, who grew to become an Worldwide Grasp (IM) in 2023, the GM title was an eventuality.“He missed it by half a degree just a few occasions,” says Shyam. “He’d get shut, then lose or draw the final spherical. However I instructed him it’s okay. The title will come. GM title is nothing in comparison with our better targets like turning into a world champion or sustaining that degree.”Final week, Ilamparthu ultimately broke the impasse and secured the ultimate GM norm on the Bijeljina Open held in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Coach Shyam’s phrases helped him keep calm. “Within the event the place he lastly made it, I instructed him to not chase the title, simply play good chess,” provides Shyam. “As soon as he stopped interested by it, he performed freely.”Now that the GM title is in hand, the subsequent objective is obvious.“I need to make him an all-rounder,” says Shyam. “I don’t take into consideration cash or profession,” father Ravikumar provides. “If I begin worrying about that, he’ll lose focus. I simply need him to remain proud of chess.”The boy who as soon as walked right into a camp holding his grandfather’s hand now travels the world on his personal. And this, absolutely, gained’t be the final time you hear the identify Ilamparthi, for the solar is simply shining.