On the path to grandmaster: Jaivardhan Raj is India's number one chess champ under eight

Clack, clack, clack — the sound of chess pieces moving across the board are the only sounds in the comfortably upscale Juhu home where Jaivardhan Raj, aged "seven-and-a-half", is busy crushing his father Satyam Raj in a game that's over in less than 20 moves. About two years ago, when he had just begun teaching his son the game, Satyam could have called "checkmate" in three moves. But the pupil has far surpassed the teacher.

Having recently won a bronze and two silver medals in the Western Asian Chess Tournament held in Tashkent from November 16-23, Jai, as his parents call him, currently holds the number one position in Indian's under-eight category. His motivation is simple. "I like to compete in tournaments, checkmate my opponents and win trophies," says the young chess champ, who already has a hunger for a challenge. "I like it better when I get a good player for an opponent."

Satyam first realised his son's potential when he started playing at local tournaments. "At one of his games, he came out midway crying and I thought he'd lost," he recalls. "But the mediator told me that the game wasn't over. So I asked him what the matter was and he told me, 'I'll lose this game in five moves.' I encouraged him to play on and he won because he didn't make those moves. But it occurred to me then that he was thinking five moves ahead – a feat that I certainly wouldn't have achieved at that age."

And so, the doting parents got their son a coach, and when it became obvious that he was an extraordinary player, began enrolling him in bigger championships.

What sets the young chess player apart from his peers is his consistency in retaining the top three spots in tournament after tournament, since he started competing a year ago. Thus far he's won gold at the Asian School (U) Rapid games, gold at all four Maharashtra Chess tournaments (classical, rapid, blitz and schools), gold at the MSSA U-7 category and silver at the National Chess Championship.

However, the path to glory is not a smooth one. In a cricket-dominated country, this chess family (all members including Jai's four-year-old brother can play) has got little support from government and other aids. "Even when he is representing India, it's just his boarding and travel that's covered, not that of his coach or mine," laments mom, Anubha.

Still, the young champ is full of optimism. "I want to play in the Asian Youth and World Cadet championships, where I am representing India," says Jai. With family members from his mother's side in the Indian army, the young chess warrior takes inspiration from those, "who continue to fight and never give up!"