Understanding his opponents
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At five, he learned the card game his elders were playing just by watching them. But, when teachers started complaining about the tiny tot bringing spades and hearts into kindergarten, Sukumaran and Rejitha thought of a diversion — they decided to teach him chess and the idea clicked.
Eight years later his parents are glad they ignited the passion for chess in their son Athul Krishna, who won the state under-13 championship despite his opponent being the much stronger competitor, S.L. Narayanan.
The boy from Kozhikode has a natural flair for the mind game and hit the headlines a year ago when he competed against 50 opponents simultaneously, winning against 47. He was also the state under-7, under-9 and under-11 champion.
What makes him different from his contemporaries is his understanding of the opponents’ abilities and the strength of the tournaments that he plays in — quite an uncommon phenomenon amongst 13-year-olds.
“I have won State tournaments in other categories but, this was really hard, especially because Narayanan was playing. We have played on opposite sides before but not since he has become such a great a player,” said Athul.
“In fact I had a winning position but, I blundered. After the blunder, it was tough for me to get back into the game. I knew it would be foolish to take risks against a player of his calibre, so I did perpetual checks and managed a draw that helped me win the title,” he added.
The chubby little boy who is a student of Bhavan’s Chevayur feels it was the biggest triumph in his still evolving career and now his parents have began to realise their boy has a career in the game and it needs to be harnessed.
“He is improving and he needs to play more tournaments to become better. That is a big problem for us as I run a business and it is quite hard to spare the time. But, I can’t leave him alone for tournaments so it will be tough,” said his father K Sukumaran.
Meanwhile, if you thought this little wizard remains frequently glued to those 24x7 live chess sites, you are mistaken. “I play chess on computer but I don’t like it very much. I read some books on chess and when I get the chance I practice with friends,” Athul says.
It is remarkable that Athul haven’t had much coaching. Though he has occasionally sought guidance from senior players like K.R. Madhusudhanan and A.K. Jagadeesh, Athul is otherwise self-taught.
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