MUMBAI: Shreyas Royal, a 9-year-old chess prodigy from India residing in the UK, could find it difficult to continue there since his father’s work visa is set to expire.
Shreyas made a name for himself as the world’s youngest candidate master. He has won a series of chess championships and his parents, Jitendra & Anju Singh, are requesting the UK Home Office for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in Britain on the grounds that he is a national asset.
One has to assume that the Singhs are arguing that Shreyas is a British national asset which by extension means they are seeking permanent residence in the UK.
The family had shifted from Bengaluru to London in 2012 when Shreyas was 3 years old.
“Shreyas’s life is here. He has roots. We are used to India, we spent a lot of our lives living there but it will be a massive shock for Shreyas. He will not be able to continue his chess, it really is a terrible situation, father Jitendra told UK’s ‘The Times’ newspaper.
Jitendra is aged 38 and happens to be an IT project manager with the Tata Group. He was offered a fixed-term contract in the company’s UK office and on September 10 his work visa will lapse permanently.
The Singhs have got the backing of Julian Simpole, who is Shreyas’ trainer and has coached two English grandmasters earlier, and Dominic Lawson, president of the English Chess Federation.
“He pretty much wins every competition he’s in,” Simpole said about Shreyas, who has been competing professionally for three years now.
“I’ve been coaching Shreyas for nine weeks now. I am amazed. He is so advanced I set him Soviet-style toughness lessons as in no concessions made for his age. He virtually always gets the right answer.”
“This kid is like something I’ve never seen before. His talent is very highly pronounced. He’s going to be a future world champion and we’d like it to be for Britain, the well-known coach added.
Shreyas spends his weekends and summer holidays travelling across Britain and the world competing against champions almost 10 years older than him.
“I don’t think the older kids like being beaten by me. The Russians are the hardest to play against, he said. “What I like about chess is that it’s not about being physically aggressive, you have time to use your mind, added Shreyas, who has already won numerous trophies and medals.
