World Youth Chess tourney

Nihal Sarin, a sixth standard student of Devamatha Public School here, has become runner-up in the World Youth Chess Championship. In the recently concluded World Youth Chess Championship at Halkidiki in Greece, Nihal won the silver medal in the Under-12 open category. Azerbaijan player Muradali Mohammed is the World Champion.

Muradali, Nihal, and USA’s Penk Davis scored nine points from 11 rounds and Muradali was declared champion through tie-breaker (buchhloz) system.

Son of Sarin and Shijin, Assistant Professors at Thrissur Government Medical College, Nihal had won the World Chess Championship (Under-10 category) held at Durban, South Africa in 2014.

The child prodigy had also won the Under-10 Blitz title at the World Youth Chess Championship in Al Ain in 2013 and Asian Under-10 Blitz and Rapid championships at Tashkent in 2014. He has already qualified to participate in the Under-12 World Chess Championship to be held in Georgia next year. Nihal, the only chess player from the State to win a World Chess title, is trained by chess coach at Devamatha School E.P. Nirmal and Russian trainer Komarov.