An 8-year-old boy from Tamil Nadu pulled off a stunning upset in an online blitz chess tournament, defeating World No. 7 Vincent Keymer while battling a power cut, heavy rain and fading battery life.
As rain lashed Thiruthangal in Sivakasi through Friday night, the neighbourhood slipped into darkness after a six-hour power cut. But inside a modest home, young Tamizh Amudhan refused to stop playing. With just a candle for backup light and a mobile phone torch illuminating his laptop screen, he logged into the Freestyle Friday online chess championship.
On the other side of the board stood Germany‘s Vincent Keymer, a 21-year-old Grandmaster ranked World No. 7 with an Elo rating of 2759. Yet under pressure-filled blitz conditions, Tamizh, playing black, outplayed his vastly experienced opponent in the opening round of the 11-round Swiss event.
He went on to complete four rounds in total, winning two games, before his laptop finally ran out of battery.
A night of improvisation, resilience and quiet brilliance
According to TOI, the young player’s father Sathish Arumugam described how the family improvised through the disruption. They returned from training at Hatsun Chess Academy around 6 pm, just as the power cut began due to heavy rain. With only about 48% battery left on the laptop and an 8 pm tournament start, the family knew time and power were limited.
“We used a mobile hotspot and data connection to stay online. He still wanted to play. The power cut didn’t bother him at all,” Sathish said.
Tamizh, unfazed by the conditions, reportedly told his family he would continue playing until the battery died, a statement that proved both literal and symbolic.
A rising star already making waves in youth chess
Tamizh is already a standout name in India’s junior chess circuit. Ranked World No. 1 in the under-9 category, he crossed the 2000+ Elo mark earlier this year, becoming the youngest player to do so in February.
Hailing from Kallakurichi, the young talent has been living in Thiruthangal for the past year with his family to reduce travel and focus on training at the Hatsun Chess Academy.
His journey has been supported by significant family sacrifices, with his parents taking turns staying with him to ensure uninterrupted practice.
Despite his age, Tamizh has already built an impressive record, including four silver medals and a bronze at the 27th Asian Youth Chess Championship 2025.
After his remarkable online win, the 8-year-old had one simple reaction, as told to TOI- “It was a very jolly feeling.”