Distraction to traction.

A chess prodigy, Shubh Kapoor’s (Gr.9 at SNS-Gurugram) journey started at the tender age of 6 following the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease called juvenile arthritis. Between high doses of medicines and not being able to lead a normal active life, he was introduced to chess as a means to pass time and keep the mind agile. Soon Shubh was able to defeat children 5-6 years older than him. This innate ability and intelligent grasp of the nuances of the game kept him happy and mentally active.

To give a boost to his talent he started professional coaching. Shubh participated in tournaments all across the country before his parents relocated to Kuala Lumpur. There his exposure was international, keeping aside his problems Shubh choose to focus on moving forward like the pawns on the chessboard, one step at a time.

Shubh specialises in the Simul format, where one player (typically of a high rank) plays multiple games at a time with a number of other players. Playing the Simul at the Taylor’s International School, KL Malaysia, Shubh won them all.

At the recently held Asian School Chess Championship in July 2021, Shubh represented India and won an individual Silver Medal while helping the team, India A, to bag the Gold. Shubh’s current FIDE ranking is 1617 and No.2 in India and Asian U-15 (amongst 24 countries).

Bob the builder sang, “… can we fix it, yes we can….” Looks like Shubh has learned that mantra very well.