15-year-old Indian-origin chess prodigy becomes youngest ever British grandmaster

At just 15 years old, Bengaluru-born Shreyas Royal has made history by becoming the youngest ever British grandmaster. Living in Woolwich, Royal achieved this prestigious title at the British Chess Championship in Hull, surpassing the previous record set by David Howell in 2007.

Royal’s journey to becoming a grandmaster was not an easy one. It took five near misses before he finally secured his final GM norm in Hull. His hard work and dedication paid off as he beat top players like David Howell and Bodhana Sivanandan, and drew with chess legends Michael Adams, Luke McShane, and Gawain Jones.

Reflecting on his achievement, Royal expressed his pride in joining the elite club of grandmasters. He acknowledged the challenges of achieving this title in a country like England, which does not have a strong chess culture compared to countries like India, Russia, America, and China.

Royal’s father, Jitendra Singh, played a crucial role in supporting his son’s passion for chess. When Singh’s visa was about to expire in 2018, he raised concerns with the English Chess Federation and then home secretary Sajid Javid intervened to allow the family to stay in the UK. The family has since obtained British citizenship.

Looking ahead, Royal’s ambition is to continue improving his Elo ratings and ultimately become a world champion. With his talent and determination, there is no doubt that this young chess prodigy has a bright future ahead of him.