THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When 15-year-old Goutham Krishna H decided to rub shoulders at the senior national level for the first time, his competitors included 21 chess players ranked above him. Unmindful of the odds, the international master (IM) from Thiruvananthapuram put up an impressive show of talent and grit to emerge as the first runner-up at the 62nd National Senior Chess Championship held recently in Andhra Pradesh.
Goutham scored an impressive nine out of 11 points, narrowly missing the title on a tie-break. Had he won, Goutham would have become the youngest champion, a record currently held by grandmaster (GM) Akash Ganesan, and previously by Viswanathan Anand.
In round nine, Goutham showcased an exceptional endgame, capitalising on a rare error by GM Abhijeet Gupta, a five-time Commonwealth and former national champion.
Goutham’s dedication and talent has also qualified him for more international tournaments. And, he wants to get better. “I hope to join the ranks of Anand and Akash, who became senior national champions at the age of 16,” said Goutham, a Class X student of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kodunganoor.
He currently has an International Chess Federation — commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE — rating of 2407 and a GM norm under his belt. Two more GM norms and a rating above 2,500 would earn Goutham the title of grandmaster.
In May, Goutham was in supreme form at the third International Chess Tournament in Kuwait. The prestigious event involved 329 players from across the globe, including 30 GMs. Despite being seeded 30th, Goutham demonstrated remarkable poise and panache, securing second place and a cheque for 9,000 US dollars.
Goutham, who was crowned national champion in the under-12 category in 2012, displayed keen interest in chess from early childhood. He was initially trained by Anand J S. Later, Sreejith G S, a former chess player and FIDE-certified instructor became his his full-time mentor. Srinath Narayanan, a GM from Chennai, has also taken him under his wings.
“Unlike many others his age, Goutham is a regular school-going student and balances his passion for chess with his studies. However, he is on the lookout for a sponsor who would fund his training as well as expenses to participate in international events,” said Sreejith, who has mentored many young players.
Goutham’s father Hari is an architect with the public works department and mother Simitha is employed in a private firm. His elder brother Dev Shankar, a former chess player, recently completed his higher studies in Canada.