New Delhi:
Pune's Soumya Swaminathan is back after winning the World Junior Girls Chess Championship in Argentina. This also means that she gets a direct entry to the Women's World Championships.
Soumya Swaminathan, India's newest chess prodigy, has become the third Indian girl to clinch the World Junior Girls Chess Championship. The 20-year old bagged her place in world chess history after beat Turkey's Kubra Ozturk in the last round in Argentina.
"It went very well as I was quite confident about myself from the beginning and I was playing very well, I was playing very good chess. It wasn't that I was simply getting lucky and winning the games. The way my team supported me was amazing, everyone cheered for me and prayed for me. I think it takes a lot of affection and attachment for people to do that for you. It was fifteen of us and imagine all of them are praying for me," said Soumya.
Soumya was encouraged to play chess by her mother Rajeshwari, who died in a road accident when she was just 9 just before Soumya was to leave to represent India in the World Under-10 Championship. A decade and several national junior titles later, Soumya is well on her way to fulfill her mother's long cherished dream.
"She would have been very happy had she been here, but I am very happy that I could fulfill a part of her dream. I would have felt very bad if I wouldn't have won it this time as I was so close to winning it," said an emotional Soumya.
However, her father J Swaminathan is a proud man and very excited for her bright future ahead.
"She can start playing with seniors now as we feel she won the IM norm after being a women's grand master. We think she's made the norm after the world junior championships," said her father.
Soumya Swaminathan, India's newest chess prodigy, has become the third Indian girl to clinch the World Junior Girls Chess Championship. The 20-year old bagged her place in world chess history after beat Turkey's Kubra Ozturk in the last round in Argentina.
"It went very well as I was quite confident about myself from the beginning and I was playing very well, I was playing very good chess. It wasn't that I was simply getting lucky and winning the games. The way my team supported me was amazing, everyone cheered for me and prayed for me. I think it takes a lot of affection and attachment for people to do that for you. It was fifteen of us and imagine all of them are praying for me," said Soumya.
Soumya was encouraged to play chess by her mother Rajeshwari, who died in a road accident when she was just 9 just before Soumya was to leave to represent India in the World Under-10 Championship. A decade and several national junior titles later, Soumya is well on her way to fulfill her mother's long cherished dream.
"She would have been very happy had she been here, but I am very happy that I could fulfill a part of her dream. I would have felt very bad if I wouldn't have won it this time as I was so close to winning it," said an emotional Soumya.
However, her father J Swaminathan is a proud man and very excited for her bright future ahead.
"She can start playing with seniors now as we feel she won the IM norm after being a women's grand master. We think she's made the norm after the world junior championships," said her father.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
