Bengaluru: Eight-year-old Tamizh Amudhan, a chess prodigy from India, has taken the world by storm after defeating world No.7 Vincent Keymer in an online blitz game at the Freestyle Friday tournament. Battling a power cut and a dying laptop, Tamizh's determination and skill paid off as he emerged victorious in the high-stakes match.
Tamizh, who is currently ranked as a Candidate Master, has been training intensively at the Hatsun Chess Academy in Thiruthangal, founded by Vishnu Prasanna, the former coach of reigning world champion D Gukesh. His father, Sathish Arumugam, has made significant sacrifices to support Tamizh's chess career, including splitting the family across two places to prioritize his son's training.
Tamizh's impressive win has sparked widespread attention, with many hailing him as a 'super talented' and 'intuitive' player. His coach, Vishnu, likens him to one of India's best speed chess players, Nihal Sarin. With timely help from Hatsun, Tamizh's primary sponsor, he is now set to compete in the Commonwealth Championship and the World Youth Championship, with a good chance of breaking the youngest IM/GM records by the end of the year.
