Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

'Keep persisting,' says England’s youngest grandmaster Shreyas Royal

The London schoolboy crossed the final hurdle to secure the last GM Norm—a performance benchmark required over several games—during the championship in Hull last week.

'Keep persisting,' says England’s youngest grandmaster Shreyas Royal

Shreyas Royal, a 15-year-old chess prodigy of Asian origin, is now England's youngest grandmaster (GM) after his latest victory in the British Chess Championships.

The London schoolboy crossed the final hurdle to secure the last GM Norm—a performance benchmark required over several games—during the championship in Hull last week. This milestone is particularly significant for his family, who were granted leave to remain in the UK in recognition of his exceptional chess talent after his father’s IT work visa expired in 2018.


“It feels great to pay off part of what the country had done for us,” said Jitendra Singh, Shreyas' father, about his son’s accomplishment. “We're both very delighted to hit the record in the country that has nurtured his chess career,” he added.

Shreyas broke the record previously held by Grand Master David Howell, who became the youngest GM in 2007 at 16 years old. According to the English Chess Federation (ECF), Shreyas’ standout results in the championship included defeating Howell and drawing with the eventual winner Gawain Jones, as well as top GMs Luke McShane and Michael Adams.

“Keep persisting, no matter how tough things may get. There will always be setbacks and failures, but how you overcome them will define your character and put you on the right path,” said Shreyas when asked for advice for other young chess players.

Shreyas and his supportive father are now focused on joining the national chess team and achieving even greater heights. “It’s truly been a remarkable journey, and I cannot thank everyone who has helped me enough,” added Shreyas.

Born in India, Shreyas moved to the UK at the age of three with his parents, Jitendra and Anju Singh, from Bengaluru.

In 2018, the ECF had campaigned for Shreyas to stay in the UK to continue honing his talent. Labour MPs Rachel Reeves and Matthew Pennycook, now cabinet ministers, had supported this, arguing that the UK would lose an "exceptional talent" if Shreyas had to leave due to his father’s visa issues.

The home office eventually reconsidered the case, granting the family an extension, which led to their British citizenship.

Last year, Shreyas joined other young chess prodigies at 10 Downing Street when then prime minister Rishi Sunak announced a £1 million investment to support chess in schools, particularly in disadvantaged areas, and to fund elite players.

(With inputs from PTI)

More For You

Rajasthan Royals lose coach Dravid ahead of 2026 IPL season

Rahul Dravid (PTI photo)

Rajasthan Royals lose coach Dravid ahead of 2026 IPL season

INDIA batting great Rahul Dravid has stepped down as head coach of Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals after just one season with them, the franchise said on Saturday (30).

Dravid, 52, was offered a "broader position" after a structural review of the team set-up but the former Indian captain declined the offer, the franchise said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hasaranga Asia Cup squad

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga celebrates after taking the wicket of Bangladesh's captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz during the first one-day international (ODI) cricket match at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on July 2, 2025. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Getty Images

Sri Lanka recall fit-again Hasaranga for Asia Cup

SRI LANKA have picked Wanindu Hasaranga in their Twenty20 squad for the Asia Cup next month though the all-rounder has been ruled out of the tour of Zimbabwe as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

Hasaranga sustained the injury during the home series against Bangladesh in July and the injury will keep him out of Sri Lanka's limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe beginning on Friday (29).

Keep ReadingShow less
India and England unveil Women’s World Cup squads with shock calls

Harmanpreet Kaur

India and England unveil Women’s World Cup squads with shock calls

INDIA and England have named their squads for the upcoming Women’s World Cup, with several surprise selections and omissions, highlighting the competitive nature of the tournament.

India’s squad announcement brought disappointment for explosive opener Shafali Verma, who was left out after a poor run of form. The 21-year-old, who last played a oneday international in October 2024, has managed just one half-century in six innings for India A.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Gukesh

Gukesh, as the reigning world champion, is not in the Candidates race, and his participation will be for prize money and rating points.

Getty Images

Chess World Cup 2025 to be held in Goa

GOA will host the Chess World Cup from October 30 to November 27. The FIDE World Cup 2025 carries a prize fund of USD 2 million and offers three qualifying spots for next year’s Candidates tournament.

The 206-player field includes world champion D Gukesh, Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and R Praggnanandhaa. However, Gukesh, as the reigning world champion, is not in the Candidates race, and his participation will be for prize money and rating points.

Keep ReadingShow less
CWG-2010-Getty

India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Modi cabinet clears Ahmedabad bid for Commonwealth Games 2030

INDIA on Wednesday said Ahmedabad would be an "ideal" venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, as the country seeks to strengthen its case to host the 2036 Olympics.

Ahmedabad, the main city in prime minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat, has a 130,000-capacity stadium, the largest cricket arena in the world, named after him.

Keep ReadingShow less