At just 15, Shreyas Royal, a British Indian chess whiz kid, achieved the fantastic milestone of becoming England's youngest-ever Grandmaster. The teenager secured his final GM norm – a key performance standard arrived at through consistent high level play across various tournaments – thanks to his latest victory at the British Chess Championships.
Shreyas achieved this pinnacle last week when he was competing in Hull, a moment the family will view with pride. His parents, who were allowed to remain in the UK after the work visa of his IT expert father expired in 2018, have been elated over the success.
His father, Jitendra Singh, says, "It feels wonderful to be able to contribute something back to the country that has supported us so much." He added, "We are elated to achieve this record in the nation that fostered Shreyas' chess career.".
Shreyas has surpassed the record held by Grandmaster David Howell, who achieved the title at 16 in 2007. At the recent championship, Shreyas notched a win against Howell and draws with champion Gawain Jones, along with top grandmasters Luke McShane and Michael Adams, according to the English Chess Federation.
He said, "The thing that I would like to tell young aspirants playing chess today is that persistence is everything. You will have problems and failures; it is how you deal with them that will shape your character and guide you on the path to success.".
Shreyas and his supportive father now dream of a place in the national chess team and reaching newer heights in their chess journey. "It has been an extraordinary experience, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me," Shreyas added.
Born in Bangalore, Shreyas relocated to the UK with his parents Jitendra and Anju Singh when he was three years old. In 2018 the ECF campaigned for Shreyas to be allowed to stay in the UK, citing the "exceptional talent" that would be lost if he had to leave the country following the expiration of his father's visa. Labour MPs Rachel Reeves and Matthew Pennycook—now Cabinet ministers—urged then Home Secretary Sajid Javid in a jointly signed letter not to lose such talent from the UK.
Their leave was subsequently extended by the Home Office, before Shreyas was granted British citizenship. He was one of a group of young chess stars who visited 10 Downing Street for a reception last year, where then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a £1 million investment to support chess education in deprived areas across England.
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