Eight-year-old Divith Reddy of Hyderabad added to India's growing reputation in the world of chess by becoming champion in the Under-8 World Cadets Chess Championship in Montesilvano, Italy, on Tuesday.
The Telengana boy secured a brilliant 9/11 points, same as his compatriot Sattwik Swain but the former clinched the gold based on his tiebreak score.
Divith, who has a FIDE rating of 1784 points, had a three-way tie with compatriot Sattwik and Ziming Guo of China but the Telengana boy clinched the gold with a better tie-break score.
Sattwik bagged the silver, while Guo settled for the bronze.
Divith's journey to the top was a rollercoaster ride, showcasing resilience and tactical brilliance.
Starting the tournament on a high, Divith won his first four matches, but a brief slump followed with two consecutive losses.
However, he bounced back in spectacular fashion, winning his final five rounds to secure the top spot.
His opponents included strong contenders such as Wiktor Stankowski of Poland, Nurali Nurshin of Kazakhstan, Zhihan Xu (Samuel) of Canada, Rizat Ulan of Kazakhstan, and Aiden Linyuan Li of the USA.
The last two rounds were particularly challenging, with Linyuan boasting a FIDE rating of 1877 and Rizat holding a rating of 1783.
Despite facing tough positions, Divith demonstrated remarkable resilience and tactical acumen.
"Divith was in slightly difficult positions at times, but he found some brilliant tactical resources that helped him clinch the victories," India coach Abhishek Kelkarn, who is an Internatioanl Master, told PTI.
Divith's victory further highlights India's rising prominence in the world of chess, especially at the junior level which has been making waves globally in recent years.
From the success of Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa to D Gukesh's participation in the World Chess Championship against Ding Liren, India chess is on a high.
