'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)