Fifteen-year-old P. Akilesh has been playing chess since he was in primary school and has taken part in many competitions over the years.
The Form 3 student of SMK Taman Nusa Damai in Pasir Gudang, Johor, even engaged a coach to help sharpen his skills and he hopes to represent the state in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) one day.
“I hope to play in the district level first in April, before moving on to the state level and hopefully Sukma.
“Chess is about strategy, discipline and consistency.
“Do not let your failure bring you down, as even the best chess players lose sometimes,” said Akilesh.
He was one of the top players at the recently concluded Johor Indian youth chess tournament held at the Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam Temple in Johor Baru.
A total 165 students took part in the event which featured four categories: Under-15, Under-12, Under-10 and Under-8.
Student V. Suddarshan, 14, said he travelled from Kuala Lumpur with his father R. Varatharajan, 48, for the event.
“We came a day earlier,” he said, adding that chess was a hobby which taught him patience.
K. Sashvikaa, 11, from SK (P) Sultan Ibrahim, who has been playing chess since she was five, said the game promoted strategic thinking.
Arvin James Benjamin, seven, who was among the youngest contestants, beamed with pride after clinching third place in the Under-8 category.
The SJKC Foon Yew 4 pupil kept his cool despite competing against older and more experienced players, refusing to give up even when the board looked challenging.
“I practise at home with my brother, Asher Joel, and also watch tutorials on YouTube,” said Arvin James, adding that he hopes to keep sharpening his game and compete in more tournaments.
Tournament organising chairman and temple committee member C. Dorairaj said this was the first time that they organised such an event at their temple hall.
“This is a good initiative for the community and we hope to hold it annually,” he said, adding that some RM1,800 worth of cash prizes were given to the participants.
Johor Baru Chess Association chairman Narayanan Krishnan said they did not expect the overwhelming response from participants, as their initial target was only 100 students.
“Such events promote good sportsmanship and unity among players,” he said.
“In chess competitions, there are three main time controls: classical, rapid and blitz.”
“We used the rapid style for this competition, which required each player to play a total of seven different games, with about 20 minutes allocated for each game.”
Narayanan also expressed gratitude to the temple organisers for providing the venue and meals, not just for the players but also for their families during the whole-day event.
Also present at the event were the Economy Minister’s special officer for the Indian community Datuk R. Sugumar and temple president Datuk K. Mohan.
