The Little Queen

Chess, they say, is the gymnasium of the mind. And so, when one sees, a young eight year old trapeezing through it, so effortlessly, it becomes a fascinating feat to behold. Alana Meenakshi Kolagatla is such a champion. A cute and leanlooking girl, it’s when you challenge her to a game of chess, that the mean-thinking machine in her comes leaping out. Focussed and composed, she quickly beats you at a game, with moves you’ve least expected.

The beginning

At the age of five and a half, when most kids were trying to use crayons and colour inside the line, this young girl was already making highly strategic moves. “It all started when I brought home the game of chess, and laid out the board in front of her. I simply told her the names of each of the pieces, and showed her a few basic moves”, shares Dr. Aparna, Alana’s mother. Without giving it a second thought, the box was brought out the next day, and Alana recalled not only all the pieces but their positions as well. Dr. Aparna being a junior level chess player herself, was quick to identify her talent, and slowly started to encourage her child. “It would be casual games at home in the beginning, but I soon felt that I wasn’t doing this right. She had interest and needed time and attention. A coach could really help her understand and explore the game better.” Alana soon became part of a summer camp at YMCA, and despite being the youngest, her coach Chiranjeevi saw the spark in her, when she began beating opponents at matches.

Competitions