Checkmate, Neithal style: Chess prodigy from Alappuzha wins State honour after global exploits

When Neithal D Ansera first played chess with his elder brother during the COVID lockdown, he thought he won every game. His brother was winning them all.

“Back then, I used to lose every single match, but the funny thing was, I genuinely believed I was winning all those games. I didn't know any better,” Neithal said.

The nine-year-old from Alappuzha district has now been selected for the Kerala government’s Ujjwala Balyam Award for his achievements in chess. A student of Matha Senior Secondary School, Thumpoli, Neithal has already represented India at several international tournaments.

His father taught him the basic moves. Neithal kept playing with his brother until he eventually beat him. Seeing how much he enjoyed the game, his father enrolled him at a local chess academy.

In 2024, Neithal played his first district tournament and qualified for the state championship, where he finished runner-up. He was placed in the top 50 on his national debut and went on to qualify for three international tournaments. One took him to Greece for the World Cadets, where he finished in the top 10 in a field that drew players from 43 countries.

Five games in Thailand
At the 2025 Asian Youth Championship in Thailand, Neithal won his first five games in a nine-round tournament. His fifth win came against the reigning champion from Iran. He developed a high fever after that game, and his form dipped in the remaining rounds.

By late 2025, Neithal had won the state schools title. He then finished runner-up for Kerala at the National Schools Championship and qualified for the Asian Schools Championship in Russia. There, he won three team silver medals across classical, rapid, and blitz chess.

A later runner-up finish at a national tournament made him eligible for five international events in 2027. They are the World Cadet & Youth Championship, the Asian Youth Championship, the Commonwealth Championship, the ASEAN Championship, and the Western Asian Championship.

A home in Sivakasi
With few high-level tournaments in Kerala, the family often travelled to Tamil Nadu or Bengaluru. Once Neithal began competing abroad, annual expenses rose to Rs 9 lakh. As his rating climbed, he needed more advanced coaching, which can cost up to Rs 5,000 an hour.

“I am a government employee, and when the kids took up chess, my wife had to put her career on hold because chess at this level demands relentless, extensive travel,” said Neithal’s father, Dheeresh.

The family has rented a small house in Sivakasi, where Neithal trains at the Hatsun Chess Academy. His mother stays with him there and his father visits on weekends. When Neithal is back in Thumpoli, his school lets him sit his exams, Dheeresh said.