When the world stood still around him, frozen under a vicious pandemic, little Advay was busy moving his pawns. 8-year-old Advay Dhoot was practising hard for his new milestone in a path driven by passion and perseverance. The sweat and the sweet dreams were not wasted. Advay was among the top 4 players of India in his category in the recently released list of rated players by FIDE in early December 2021.
Advay who hails from Mumbai, took part in the chess tournaments held in France, Germany, and European circuits, coming out in flying colors. Advay’s win in international chess matches made him the youngest eligible chess contender in India.
Advay Dhoot: India’s little package of pride
The tournament In Heidelberg, Germany, had 174 participants from 7 countries. Advay, a third-grade boy, won against players having over 1400+ ratings. The feather on his cap came with his surprising win against 1385 ranked Bauer Laura Sophie. Bauer is Germany’s 2nd-ranked junior chess player. Advay went on with his marvelous display of skills in La Bresse at the 41st edition of the French tournament, where out of 9 rounds, he secured a score of 4.5.
He also represented his school at the international match at Lichess Lugano in September 2021 in the open category.
Advay started playing at the tender age of 4. Since then, he has been treading ahead like a racehorse with blinkers. He has participated and won multiple matches in countless national and international chess meets. The class 3 student of Dhirubhai Ambani School features among one of the youngest chess players across the globe. With an Elo rating of 1337, Advay is also a topper in his category from the state of Maharashtra.
Advay’s coach Guttula Balaji is confident that the young boy’s passion for the game will steer him far ahead in the field.
Advay rose to success on the shoulders of relentless perseverance and passion for the sport. Not one to be bogged down by adversities, the little chess player meticulously and smartly used the lockdown time to his favor. Practising dedicatedly, he used all his free time at home to advance in his skills, participating in numerous online tournaments to nurture his skills. Advay participated in more than 50 online matches held over 18 months.
Advay & Abhimanyu: The Little League of Excellence
Indian chess’s tender talents have been in the news in 2021. Advay’s presence and triumph in international chess are reminiscent of yet another prodigy who walked ahead of him and onto the red carpet as the youngest GM in the world.
Abhimanyu Mishra, a 12-year-old boy of Indian origin from the United States, slammed the title of the youngest GM in the world. Abhimanyu holds an outstanding record of being the youngest national chess master in the U.S. at an embryonic age of 9 years.
In 2019, Abhimanyu bagged the youngest title of IM in the world when he was 10 years old. In July 2021, he surpassed the long-standing record of Sergey Karjakin to become the youngest GM in the world. It was an excellent feat for a 12-year boy to lift his third GM norm at Budapest after crossing the hurdle of the 2500 Elo rating barrier.
To be eligible for a GM title, a player must have a minimum Elo rating of 2500 and also secure 3 norms in the course. Before hitting his prestigious Grand Master title, Abhimanyu had scored 2739 in the Tournament Performance Rating. Additionally, he had an unparalleled 8/9 score, which was 3 points ahead of the other players.
Abhimanyu brought home his first GM norm at the Vezerkepzo tournament in April 2021 and the second at the First Saturday tournament in May 2021.
Wrapping up
Both Advay and Abhimanyu have immense support from their parents. While nurturing the young talents, both the boys’ parents have left the career choices with the young ones. They are free to pursue their dreams and goals in chess or to take a detour to a newer field if they wish.
As a parent, if you would like to help your child thrive in chess, then get them a good foundation from where they could climb up steadily and reach their goals. Ensure your child attends a good coaching program, whether at school or a professional coaching centre for chess. Choose a centre where they would get ample opportunities not only to learn but to practise as well as to attend real-time competitions.
The more chess your kids play, the more skillful and confident they become and the more they learn to enjoy the game.
At Mind Mentorz, our coaching programs typically consist of a well-organised Chess Curriculum that leans on a parallel track of cognitive skill-building. The Curriculum is accommodative of all levels of students from a complete novice in chess to a potential player. It is designed meticulously to ensure fun, knowledge, and skill-building.
Often, peer pressure and the lack of identification of talent can divert a kid into a less suitable career path. At Mind Mentorz, we invest our time and expertise in after-school education with an aim to offer a flourishing environment for kids to learn and practice chess.
To know more about our curriculum and coaching programs, reach out to us at 9606847428.