Making Moves

TANVI TRIVEDI touched her first chess piece at the age of four and a half. In the subsequent four-and-a-half years, the Singapore PR has represented the little red dot in numerous chess tournaments and achieved some podium finishes - her most recent being Gold in the Under-8 Girls category at the 15th Penang Heritage Open Challenger in December 2023. Here, she tells us what she loves about chess-plus her parents share a tip for nurturing talent in young ones.

What's your favourite part about playing chess?

It's in the planning and giving a beautiful checkmate to the opponent in a match.

What has been your most memorable match?

My most memorable match was during the final round in the Standard format at the Eastern Asian Youth Chess Championship (EAYCC) 2023 in Hainan, China.

I was playing against Li Xinru from China and it was a must-win-or-draw match for me to get a podium finish.

Within the first hour of the game, I was a pawn down. By the end of the second hour, I was a pawn and a minor piece down. However, I made a strong comeback by playing fearless counter-attacking chess. I won the match in 3.5 hours and secured a silver medal for Singapore.

Another equally memorable match was in the shorter rapid format, when won against the highest rated girl in my category from Korea, Kim Jooyeon.

During the EAYCC 2023, I won a total of one gold and two silver medals for Singapore.

How do you prepare for a match?

Before any important tournament, I significantly ramp up my training. For example, for two months prior to the EAYCC, I spent three to four hours training on weekdays after school and seven to eight hours on the weekend. I do puzzles, play online matches, analyse the mistakes with my coach and watch chess videos.

Which is your favourite chess piece?

It's the knight as it can make beautiful manoeuvres on the board.