Sixteen-year-old Sharon Rachel Aby sat across her chessboard in Goa last month, facing opponents twice and sometimes thrice her age. They were seasoned players, some professional coaches, from 21 different countries. Sharon, representing India, held her ground. By the time the 24th IPCA World Individual Chess Championship ended, she had three silver medals around her neck — one each in blitz, rapid and classical formats.
The haul was remarkable. Sharon had doubled her medal count from last year’s championship in Armenia, where she won a single bronze. This win also came only days after she retained her National Women’s title at the All India Specially-abled FIDE Rated Chess Championship in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh. It was her third consecutive national crown, securing her place as one of the country’s most promising para-chess players. For Sharon, the victories are stepping stones towards a bigger goal. “I want to be the first Grandmaster on a wheelchair,” she said.
Beginnings in a classroom
Sharon was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Type 2) in 2011, when she was two years old. When her classmates went out for sports, Sharon’s mother, Elizabeth Mammen Aby, handed her a chessboard. “I just knew the basics of chess and started playing with her to make her happy,” Elizabeth recalled. Sharon quickly outgrew her mother’s moves, and her father, Aby Mathew, took over, teaching her the tricks he knew.
As her interest deepened, the family sought professional coaching. Accessibility, however, was an immediate obstacle. Many training centres had no ramps or lifts. Carrying her wheelchair up staircases was not an option. Relief came in the form of Sunitha Jain, who agreed to coach Sharon at home. “She was the one who introduced me to tournaments,” Sharon said.
From then on, there was no turning back. Sharon began competing in local events, often against children without disabilities, and started winning prizes. A major turning point came when she encountered Woman International Master Jennitha Anto, a six-time world champion for physically disabled players. Jennitha not only became a role model but also her current coach.
Life on and off the board
Sharon’s days are tightly structured. She wakes up at 6 am to get to Spartan Matriculation School, Mogappair, by 7.30 am. By early afternoon, she is home, attending online chess training sessions for an hour or more. Evenings are for homework, tuition, prayer, and more chess practice.
Balancing academics and sport is not easy, but her school, she says, has made the difference. “They are very supportive. They give me time to play and help me cover missed lessons,” Sharon said.
Her preparation is as much mental as technical. Before every game, she prays for strength and confidence. To stay focused in long tournaments, she turns to meditation.
Challenges beyond the board
The chessboard itself poses no difficulty for Sharon, but getting to it often does. Tournament venues are not always built with wheelchair access in mind. Each event requires the family to check if ramps are available, and if not, to ask organisers to shift a board to the ground floor. “That is one major challenge,” Sharon said.
Elizabeth remembers the early years when even these requests felt uncertain. Now, she says, things are slowly improving. “In eight years of playing, no one has refused her a place because of accessibility. Organisers usually make some arrangements, and many are more aware now,” she said.
Still, travel, special equipment and medical needs make finances tight. Elizabeth, a pharmacist by training, left her job to care for Sharon and her elder brother, Shaun, who is autistic and nonverbal. “We have had challenges, but our church, relatives and friends have been very supportive,” she said.
The family’s journey has been one of persistence as much as talent. Recognition has followed. Sharon has been felicitated by Tamil Nadu’s sports minister, met grandmasters Viswanathan Anand and Arjun Erigaisi, and even attended a felicitation by prime minister in 2023 after the Para Asian Games. As she looks ahead, she carries with her the steady encouragement of her family, her coach and her faith.