Indore’s Rishabh Kumar wins silver at Commonwealth Chess U-14 Open

Indore: When six-year-old, Rishabh Kumar began copying the moves of his elder sister across a chessboard at home, nobody imagined those casual games would one day take him to an international podium.Seven years later, the 13-year-old from Indore has returned from Sri Lanka with silver medal in the Under-14 Open category at the Commonwealth Chess Championship, adding 107 Elo rating points and taking another confident step towards his dream of becoming a Grandmaster.Every round in Sri Lanka brought a fresh challenge. Rishabh found himself across the board with players representing Malaysia, Australia and hosts Sri Lanka.

Battling Rajendrankartikeyan (Malaysia), Tay Mason (Australia), S L Nawarthne (Sri Lanka) and Lithula Perumpuli Arachi (Sri Lanka), the Indore teenager held his nerve to finish as Commonwealth Under-14 Open silver medallist.For Rishabh, chess was never introduced through a coaching academy. It began at home. His elder sister, Riddhi Maheshwari, who competed at the national level, became his first inspiration.

By the age of seven, he had already announced himself on the national circuit with a silver medal in the Under-7 Nationals in 2019. Since then, the medals have continued to follow.The class 9 student of Daly College is now the reigning Madhya Pradesh Under-13 champion, IPSC Under-19 champion and has consistently improved his FIDE rating through strong performances in India and overseas, including tournaments in Odisha, Pattaya and the New Delhi Open.“My biggest learning from the Commonwealth Championship was that one mistake can change an entire game. I stayed patient in every round and that helped me win the silver medal. Every tournament makes me stronger. My goal is clear. I want to become a Grandmaster and represent India,” Rishabh said.Behind every tournament is another journey, one that rarely appears on the scoresheet. His mother, Ruchi Maheshwari, has travelled with him across the country, helping him recover from defeats and ensuring his books travelled alongside his chessboard.

A keen student of Mathematics and Science, Rishabh has also been recognised for academic excellence and received Daly College’s Best All-Rounder award.His father, businessman Pankaj Kumar, believes the family’s biggest achievement is not the medals but helping Rishabh stay grounded.“People see the podium, but they don’t see the years behind it. There are early morning practice sessions, long journeys, difficult losses and balancing studies with tournaments.

We have always told him that discipline matters more than trophies because trophies will follow discipline,” he said.Rishabh credits several coaches for sharpening his game, while his paternal grandfather, retired IPS officer Rajesh Kumar, taught him discipline and focus. His maternal grandfather, Lalit Patni, constantly reminded him never to give up after a defeat. He also closely follows the games of former World Champion Garry Kasparov, whom he considers his biggest role model. He studies the legendary player’s attacking style and mindset as he works towards achieving his own Grandmaster dream.The Commonwealth silver is only the latest entry in an already impressive record that includes state titles, national medals and steady gains in international rating points. For the teenager from Indore, however, the biggest prize still lies ahead. Every move, every tournament and every lesson is now aimed at one destination: earning the Grandmaster title and wearing India colours on the world’s biggest chess stages.