Making the right moves

Making the right moves
ARCHANA SUBRAMANIAN

She became interested in playing chess while watching her sister play. Since then Mahalakshmi has come a long way.

A Std VII student of Velammal School, she has been playing chess from the age of five. Professionally trained for five years now, Mahalakshmi has won several championships.

She won the gold at the state level in 2004 in the 17th Tamil Nadu State Under-7 Chess Championship.

In the 24th Tamil Nadu State Under-13 Chess Championship in 2010 once again she walked off with the gold. Both these tournaments were held in Chennai.

“Hard work pays” and this is what Mahalakshmi believes in. “I juggled between studies and chess,” she says.

Mahalakshmi came first in the National Under-7 tournament held at Aurangabad in 2005.

In 2008, all her hard work paid off when she was place first in the Asian Youth Chess Championship U-10 held in Iran.

The International Championships held in 2006 — World Youth Chess Championship U-8 held in Georgia and the most recent one — World Youth Chess Championship U-12, 2010 held in Greece have placed her in the third position both times.

She has ambitions of becoming a Grand Master. She trains at the Chess Gurukul in T Nagar. Besides chess, Mahalakshmi also loves reading. When asked about how the school helps her, she says her school occasionally sponsors her tournaments and her teachers help her with the lessons she has missed out on.

However the one thing she wishes for is a full time sponsor who will help her in her coaching and her competitions.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com