whizkid vows to conquer Dubai's chessboard

Varanasi, Aug 13: At the tender age of seven years, this boy wonder does not love the adventures of Harry Potter or spinach loving toon character Popeye like his friends of Class II.

Ruling the global chess board one day like his idol Vishwanathan Anand is the only dream harboured by the little chess wonder of Varanasi, Shivam Srivastava.

With three state crowns already under his belt coupled with an experience of participating in a total of 40 district-state and national level tourneys, Shivam is all set to announce his arrival on the international chess scene during the Asian Youth Chess Championship to be played in Dubai from August 22 to 30.

''He is one of the 32 chess players aged under 16 yrs, who will represent the country in the Asian tourney and follow it up by showcasing his cerebral prowess on the chess boards of World Youth Chess Tourney in Turkey in November next,'' said Rakesh Srivastava, Shivam's coach at Sunbeam English School here.

''He is the first ever chess prodigy from UP to have bagged the distinction of representing the country in both Asian and World Chess tourneys,'' added the proud coach who has been training the chess wonder since the age of three yrs.

''A boy of this age who has mastered the art of Rui Lopez style of chess alongwith expertise in Sicilian defence and Pelican attack is certainly a precocious talent who is now practicing hard at not only ruling the chess board but also beating the chess clock with his sharp moves like his idol Vishwanathan Anand,'' Mr Srivastava added.

Shivam who was wished all the best for the Dubai tourney by his school at a special assembly of junior and senior students before leaving for Delhi today with his railway employee father Kamlesh Srivastava, will undergo a short training camp at the hands of International and Grand Masters in the national capital before flying to Dubai with his father on August 20.

''Facing champions is not new for Shivam who upset seasoned players at the International FIDE rating tourney in Saharanpur in October 2003. Even the other U-8 Indian representative to Dubai tourney Revanth Reddy has been beaten by Shivam in the National Championship in Goa last year,'' said Shivam's coach.

The only thing Shivam's father feels could render a handicap to his son's prospects at Dubai will be the absence of coach Rakesh.

''Visit to Dubai is expensive and even I have managed to accompany my son only after getting a loan of Rs 80,000 with the help of my senior officials. Financial constraints have impeded the passage of coach Rakesh to Dubai, whose company was necessary of my son's success at the Asian Championship.'' Unaffected by his father and coach's concerns, the chess prodigy promises to conquer the Dubai chessboard for India.

''I will surprise my rivals at the Asian tourney with a secret weapon developed by Rakesh Sir and do my country proud by keeping the Indian tricolour high on the Dubai chessboard,'' said the boy wonder wearing a confident smile.

UNI