Five-year-old Chess prodigy from Hyderabad achieves rare feat

Ishani, a student at the Roy Chess Academy, has shown exceptional skill and determination, earning the admiration of her mentors.

Hyderabad: A five-year-old chess prodigy from Hyderabad, Ishani Chakkilam has achieved a unique milestone by solving 104 checkmate-in-one-move puzzles in just 9 minutes and 23 seconds.

The event took place at the My Home Abhra apartments on Friday and the young girl is expected to get officially recognized for her unique feat by World Book of Records, London.

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Ishani, a student at the Roy Chess Academy, has shown exceptional skill and determination, earning the admiration of her mentors. Her parents, Srikanth and Sravya Chakkilam noticed her natural aptitude for logical thinking and introduced her to chess in August 2023.

“Ishani was naturally inclined towards solving logical questions, she was good at it and we thought we would try chess and see how she goes with it. She started taking her chess classes in August 2023, and it looks like it is going very well for her,” said her mother, Sravya Chakkilam.

Speaking about the event, Sravya added, “I was very nervous seeing her play, but she was super calm and probably humming a song in her head while playing. I am very happy and incredibly proud of her.”

The event was attended by Konda Surekha, Minister for Environment and Forests and British Deputy High Commissioner, Gareth Wynn Owen, who commended the Roy Chess Academy for their dedication to nurturing young talent and promoting chess among children.

Chess players, coaches, relatives, and friends also participated in the program, celebrating Ishani’s achievement.

Organizers from the Roy Chess Academy confirmed that the first verification of Ishani’s record-breaking performance has been done by an adjudicator from the World Book of Records London. Ishani has solved the complete 104 puzzles in 9 minutes 23 seconds,” they said.